


Shellpaw’s Dream

by nissabug



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Anxiety, Asexual main character, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, LGBTQ Themes, Siblings, and death, im bad at writing i just wanna be 12 again lmao, minor depression, minor descriptions of blood, more tags added later, not a good time fellas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-02-17 22:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13086729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nissabug/pseuds/nissabug
Summary: Shellpaw and her brothers are fresh StoneClan apprentices, and she wants nothing more than to catch her leader’s approving eye and become a respected warrior.But her plans stop in their tracks when she loses her brother, setting forth events that will change the lives of not only her Clan, but BurrowClan and MarshClan as well. Can she keep the Clans together while also maintaining trust with those she loves?((discontinued))





	1. Allegiances

**StoneClan**

Leader: Hollystar - small brown tom with green eyes

Deputy: Rowanheart - large golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes  
Apprentice: Shellpaw

Medicine Cat: Flowerfall - long haired silver she-cat

Warriors

Birchpelt - gray and white tabby tom

Frogwhisker - black she-cat  
Apprentice: Sedgepaw

Berryfur - white tom with brown patches

Grasspelt - pale ginger tabby she-cat

Stoneshadow - black and gray tabby tom

Badgerclaw - dark gray she-cat

Sweetflower - cream she-cat with blue eyes  
Apprentice: Ripplepaw

Featherpool - silver tabby she-cat

Rainsong - gray tom with pale gray chest and belly

Crowclaw - black she-cat with white paws and muzzle  
Apprentice: Volepaw

Gingerheart - ginger tabby tom

Dustwing - dusty brown she-cat

Sunsplash - golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Redbranch - dark ginger tabby tom

Toadclaw - large brown tabby tom

Poppynose - tortoiseshell she-cat

Sandstrike - sand colored tom with white paws

Pebblestep - brown tabby tom  
Apprentice: Reedpaw

Ivysong - white tom with ginger patches

Mossnose - calico she-cat

Firebreeze - ginger tom

Dawnpool - pale ginger she-cat

Foxlight - pale tabby she-cat

Pondtail - white she-cat with brown patches

Apprentices

Sedgepaw - brown and cream tabby she-cat

Reedpaw - dark ginger tom

Shellpaw - light tortoiseshell she-cat

Ripplepaw - brown and black tabby tom

Volepaw - pale gray tom

Queens

Cinderlight - light gray she-cat

Elders

Dustfur - light brown tom with a scarred muzzle

Morningleaf - pale golden she-cat, blinded in battle and retired early

**BurrowClan**

Leader: Lichenstar - gray she-cat with darker specks and amber eyes

Deputy: Mallowheart - blue gray she-cat

Medicine Cat: Barktail - dark brown tabby tom  
Apprentice: Cedarpaw

Warriors

Duskcloud - pale gray she-cat  
Apprentice: Dewpaw

Hawkwhisker - brown and black tabby tom

Addertail - brown tabby she-cat

Nettlebranch - pale brown tom

Cloudfall - white tom

Brackenfall - gold and black tabby tom

Robinthroat - calico she-cat with ginger chest and belly

Beetleflight - small black tom

Apprentices

Dewpaw - white tom

Cedarpaw - tortoiseshell she-cat

Queens

Cherrystripe - ginger tabby she-cat. Mother of Brackenfall’s kits: Dawnkit, Gingerkit, and Waspkit

Elders

Alderfoot - dark gray tabby tom

**MarshClan**

Leader: Lizardstar - old tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Deputy: Turtlestep - long haired gray tom

Medicine Cat: Pinewhisker - pale ginger tabby she-cat  
Apprentice: Mapledew

Warriors

Ivycloud - pale gray she-cat

Ottertail - dark brown tom  
Apprentice: Littlepaw

Heronfeather - white tom with gray patches

Whitewillow - white she-cat

Appleleaf - ginger she-cat with green eyes  
Apprentice: Stormpaw

Olivefoot - brown tabby tom  
Apprentice: Lilypaw

Bluewing - pale blue-gray tom

Apprentices

Mapledew - long haired dark ginger she-cat

Lilypaw - cream furred she-cat

Stormpaw - gray tom

Littlepaw - small, blind calico she-cat

Queens

Meadowfur - brown and white tabby she-cat

Elders

Flowershadow - gray tabby she-cat

Tanglefur - dark ginger tom with a curly pelt

**Cats Outside of Clans**

Hunter - gray tabby tom that lives in a Twoleg den deep in the woods


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we go fellas

“Mom, please, you’re messing up my fur!” Shellkit amusedly watched her brother squirm under Poppynose’s tongue, holding a paw against her in an attempt to push her away. But she continued without a word until she was satisfied and let him go, purring happily.

“I’m just so glad you three finally get to be apprentices,” she said. Volekit rubbed her head against hers.

Ripplekit rolled his eyes. “You’re just glad we’re getting out of the nursery so you can go back to warrior duties.” Shellkit nudged him and flashed him a look.

Poppynose just purred and shook her head. “Oh, no, actually I’d stay here longer if I could,” she insisted, curling her tail over her creamy paws. “Cinderlight needs someone to watch her now that she’s so close to kitting.”

“Don’t worry about me, Poppynose,” said a soft voice from the nursery, and Cinderlight slid from under the moss-covered rocks to sit by Shellkit. Her belly was swollen, and Shellkit feared that if she took a misstep she’d start giving birth right there. “Sandstrike is already so doting and helping so much, I think I’ll be fine.”

Shellkit gazed up at Cinderlight. She had been there for her and her littermates even before she moved to the nursery, having been Poppynose’s best friend. “Will you be watching our ceremony today?”

Cinderlight’s whiskers twitched. “Of course, sweetheart! I know you three will become great warriors for StoneClan.”

“I don’t think Volekit should be a warrior,” Ripplekit sniffed, rubbing a paw over his ear nonchalantly. Volekit shuffled nervously, and Shellkit narrowed her eyes at the other tom. What was he going on about this time?

Poppynose blinked, then turned her head to look at her son. “Why would you ever think that?”

Before Volekit could open his mouth, Ripplekit answered. “He never fights back when we play, he’s scared of the smallest noises, and he never wants to go explore outside the camp with us!”

Poppynose flicked her ear. “You’re not going outside without a warrior, are you?”

There was a long pause. “Does, uh... Reedpaw count?”

Poppynose sighed, lightly batting him on the head. “He’s been taking Ripplekit out to explore for moons,” Volekit added, his amber eyes wide. Ripplekit cast him a hard glare.

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Threestones for a Clan meeting!”

Poppynose swished her tail for her kits to follow her, and the toms quickly rose to their paws and made their way to the clearing. Shellkit shook her head, slowly walking with Cinderlight beside her. _He just barely got out of a scolding from Mom. Again! He somehow never faces consequences for his actions,_ she thought. _I wanna be there when he gets caught!_

The entire Clan had gathered, and Shellkit could hear hushed chattering about the new apprentices. Sunsplash had been sure to brag to everyone about his kits, and yet she hadn’t seen him all morning. The sun was high in the sky now, a little bit after everyone had finished eating. She could see Reedpaw and Sedgepaw looking not so amused about having to share their den (mostly Sedgepaw), and Sunsplash sitting with his sister, the deputy Rowanheart. They nearly looked like the same cat next to each other.

Shellkit then laid her eyes on Hollystar to distract herself from the nervousness pricking at her pads. He was small, about the size of a four moon old kit, with battle scarred brown fur and bright green eyes. She had heard stories from the many battles he had fought victoriously, but most importantly the one with rogues some seasons ago, when her parents had barely become warriors. Hollystar was known to be a generous leader, but also one who showed no mercy in defending his Clan.

He raised his tail, and a hush fell across the clearing. “Today, I bring you three new apprentices. Shellkit, Ripplekit, and Volekit, please step forward.”

Shellkit scrambled to her paws and walked with her brothers to the front, her eyes sparkling. _Another step toward becoming a warrior!_

“Ripplekit, from this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Ripplepaw. Your mentor will be Sweetflower.”

The small cream she-cat sauntered gracefully to the front with Ripplepaw, who touched noses with her. Shellkit pricked her ears in surprise; pairing the shy older warrior with... well, Ripplepaw, was a strange decision.

Hollystar blinked warmly at her. “My sister, you received great training from our fallen Brackenclaw. I expect you to pass on all you know to your apprentice.

“Volekit, from this moment on, you will be known as Volepaw. Your mentor will be Crowclaw.” The way the black she-cat came forward was like a snake, dark and quick, yet she touched noses with Volepaw so delicately. “Grasspelt taught you well; please teach Volepaw in the same way.”

Shellkit twitched her whiskers. Crowclaw was also the polar opposite of Volepaw - quick to argue and an honorable fighter. Perhaps Hollystar was trying to get those warriors’ personalities out of the apprentices. _Then what does that mean for me?_

Hollystar’s green gaze finally fell on her, and he flicked his tail. “Shellkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Shellpaw. Your mentor will be Rowanheart.”

Shellpaw nearly jumped out of her pelt. The large golden she-cat padded over to her, and the younger cat could see see muscles rippling under her thick, shining fur. She was probably the most threatening cat with a sharp tongue, besides Frogwhisker! Why did she have to be paired with her?

“Rowanheart, you’ve proven to be an excellent teacher with Pebblestep. Pass on all you know to this young cat.”

Shellpaw slowly stepped to her, and touched her nose. Echoes of “Ripplepaw! Volepaw! Shellpaw!” carried across the clearing, but all she could hear was her blood rushing through her ears. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush, or the fact that Rowanheart was staring down at her with burning amber slits, neither happy nor disapproving.

Shellpaw broke eye contact to look at her family. Cinderlight and Poppynose’s cheers rang the loudest, but when she found Sunsplash, he simply sat there, tail swishing in the sand. Something hit her heart with a pang; she immediately ignored it and looked back to Hollystar.

“This meeting is dismissed,” he said and leapt down from the tower of rocks, light as a feather. The crowd dispersed and went on to do whatever they were doing before the meeting.

Shellpaw glanced at her brothers for any sort of excitement, but they were already talking to their mentors, ignoring anyone else.

“Come with me, Shellpaw,” Rowanheart suddenly said, and turned around to the camp entrance before the apprentice could even acknowledge being beckoned. She hurried to catch up with her long strides.

“Where are we going?” Shellpaw asked as they shoulder their way out of camp and into the open territory. Stacks of large scattered stones laid between sedges and reeds, and she could see the river splitting them and MarshClan down the hill, in the distance. _Is this my first hunting trip? Will we patrolling the border, just us two? It could be something much scarier, too, knowing Rowanheart..._

Rowanheart looked at her, a purr rumbling in her throat. “We’re gathering moss for the nursery and elder’s den, of course. You’re only just an apprentice, after all.”

Oh. 


	3. Chapter 2

Shellpaw hadn’t expected Rowanheart to be quiet while she collected moss or anything, but it would have been nice for her to not lecture her about whatever the deputy could think of. Shellpaw hadn’t even done anything wrong in her kithood; what did she do to deserve this?

Moss could be found on the rocks on the MarshClan border, among the sand and sedges. The rocks were wet, of course, so Shellpaw had to almost dig her claws into the stone to not slip and fall into the rushing river next to her. Rowanheart contently sat on a rock a few tail lengths away from her, perfectly balanced - mostly because she wasn’t the one gathering moss.

“Some of the moss will be wet, too, but no cat likes having a soggy nest, so you’ll need to wring it out by squeezing it out on a dry stone on the way back,” Rowanheart continued, her bushy tail hanging off the rock, tail tip barely missing the water current.

 _She says that as if I wouldn’t have thought to do it,_ Shellpaw huffed in her head, hoping StarClan can’t read her mind. She never could have guessed that Rowanheart, the strong and silent type, would talk her ear off on her first outing with her.

It wasn’t that she was ungrateful to be her apprentice; being mentored by the deputy was a huge honor, and she was excited to learn how to be a warrior from one selected by the leader himself to succeed him. But as she rolled the moss into balls with her paws, she couldn’t help but think there was a better way to start off her apprenticeship.

Of course, she would never complain out loud to anyone. Anything she did wrong, because of Rowanheart being deputy, could be reported back to Hollystar. Or worse, her father.

Shellpaw tucked another ball under her chin and teetered across the rocks to Rowanheart. Next to her lay a nice pile of mostly dry moss. She gave a curt nod.

“Let’s go take this to camp,” she said. She picked up half of the moss and hopped off the rock, already headed in that direction.

 _Does Rowanheart never wait for anyone_? Shellpaw suppressed a sigh and picked up the rest in her mouth, almost bounding trying to follow her.

They made it back and to the elder’s den, where Dustfur and Morningleaf lay, him grooming her fur. “Hello, Mother,” Rowanheart said, licking her ear once she grabbed the she-cat’s attention. Morningleaf wasn’t that much older than Poppynose, but she was blinded in the rogue battle, and had to reside to the elder’s den, supposedly unable to carry on her warrior duties.

Morningleaf purred, and Dustfur helped her to her paws, and they sat outside the den, watching Shellpaw replace the bedding. Rowanheart had also made her grab some willow from the tree that hung over Hollystar’s den to lace in the moss. “It helps Dustfur’s back and keeps him from complaining,” she had added in a whisper.

She finished the elder’s den after a few more lectures from Rowanheart, followed by the nursery, which was done much faster after learning the ropes. They were finished by the time the sky started to turn a dusty pink, and Shellpaw decided to use the leftover moss to make her own nest.

When she entered the apprentice den, she saw Ripplepaw already in a nest of his own, pushed to the back of the den by the older apprentices most likely. He rose his head from his washing to look at her. “You’re finally back,” he said, patting his tail next to him for her to build a nest. She purred and weaved around a sleeping Sedgepaw, then sat next to him and got to work.

“Where’s Volepaw?” she asked without looking up at him.

Ripplepaw rolled his eyes. “He went with Crowclaw to go explore the territory. But all I got to do was get ticks out of the elders’ fur, and I can’t even get the stench off of me.”

Shellpaw leaned forward to sniff him, then wrinkled her nose and pulled away. She tucked in the last piece of moss and nestled in, tucking her paws underneath her.

Ripplepaw flopped onto his side with his back facing her. “Why does Volepaw get the cool mentor?” he muttered. “We get stuck with the chores while he’s out seeing the territory. He’s not even gonna be a warrior, so what’s the point?”

Shellpaw looked at him pointedly. “Stop saying that! You know that’s not true.”

“Yes it is!” Ripplepaw flung back. “He couldn’t even play fight without running away from us! Just admit it, he’s weak!”

“Will you two _shut up_?” A voice echoed in the stone den, and the apprentices stopped to look at an aggravated and half asleep Sedgepaw. “I’ve been on morning patrol and hunting patrol, and I had a training session early this morning! How hard is it to be quiet?” She curled back up, facing the other way.

The other two sat in silence for a few seconds, not looking at each other in fear of making things more awkward. Eventually, Ripplepaw rolled back over to look at Shellpaw. “I think me and Volepaw are going on the evening patrol. Did you want to come?” he asked, but it sounded like a forced way to apologize.

Shellpaw wasn’t even sure if Volepaw wanted to come with Ripplepaw’s sour attitude, but she nodded anyway and said, “I’ll ask Rowanheart.”

 

* * *

 

 

The evening patrol consisted of the three siblings and their mentors, and they were to scan the BurrowClan border. Crowclaw and Sweetflower stayed to the back of the group, their tails twining, and Shellpaw could hear their purrs from where she was in the front. _Of course my brothers’ mentors are mates_ , she thought dryly. _It makes their relationships that much more opposite._

Volepaw walked on her left, and Ripplepaw trudged on her right. She offered to be their median, in case any fights were to start between them. But so far, the tabby tom was silent, and Volepaw was looking more relaxed than he did since he was born.

The group was making their way to the stream marking the BurrowClan border. That stream, plus the river on the MarshClan border and a few other smaller streams led to a lake that sat in the middle of the land. There were many dips and hills across all three territories, creating a pool that united the three clans. Shellpaw gazed at the lake in the distance, then pricked her ears when she saw three tall trees sticking out from the body of water.

“What are those trees doing in the water?” she asked. Volepaw turned to look at her, the sunset turning his eyes a bright orange.

“Crowclaw told me that’s where we have Gatherings,” he said quietly and trailed off, suddenly unsure of himself. Ripplepaw scoffed and shook his head.

“There’s a stretch of land on MarshClan territory we use as a bridge to get there.” Crowclaw stepped ahead to be next to Volepaw, and Sweetflower moved closer to Rowanheart.

The golden tabby turned her head, the fur around her neck shifting like a lion’s mane. “Perhaps you lot can visit it for yourselves if you can behave long enough before the full moon,” she suggested, eyeing Ripplepaw. Crowclaw had told her before the patrol that he started talking back to Dustfur while removing his ticks. _He only became an apprentice earlier today! How much trouble does he plan on getting into_? Ripplepaw hissed under his breath, and Shellpaw simply frowned.

They continued walking, stopping along the way to mark the border or practice scenting prey and other cats. As they neared the bubbling stream, Volepaw lifted his head, paused, and said, “I smell a group of BurrowClan cats coming this way.”

Sure enough, a patrol padded over the hill. There was a lithe brown tom, a smaller gray she-cat, and a strong white tom that stood out against the darkening sky. Their paws and legs were caked in thick dirt. Crowclaw looked at her apprentice and purred. “Good work,” she whispered. Shellpaw could feel the pride radiating from Volepaw, and hope swelled in her chest.

“Good evening, Nettlebranch, Duskcloud,” Rowanheart said, dipping her head to the tom, who returned the gesture. They made no eye contact with Crowclaw or Sweetflower, who glanced at each other uncomfortably.

“These are some new faces,” Duskcloud said, narrowing her ice blue eyes. Shellpaw wanted to shrink under them.

“They’re our newest apprentices,” responded Rowanheart. She swept her heavy tail along the reeds. “Hopefully you’ll get to meet them at the next Gathering.” Shellpaw saw the white tom’s ears prick, and she guessed he was an apprentice, too.

Nettlebranch nodded. “We’ll see you then,” he said, then flicked his tail for the patrol to follow. Duskcloud padded after, then called over her shoulder, “Come along, Dewpaw.” The white tom stared a while longer, then turned and followed her. Duskcloud marked the border before they disappeared over a rolling hill, toward the edge of the forest.

The patrol continued in the other direction. “Why did they have such a small patrol?” Shellpaw finally asked, tilting her head.

Rowanheart scowled. “They think StoneClan isn’t much of a threat, especially after we helped them in the rogue battle so long ago.”

“If they try anything over the border, we’ll show them who’s a real threat,” Crowclaw added, sinking her claws into the soft ground. “They already think they’re perfect because the Starfall is by their territory, but that doesn’t let them do whatever they want.”

“Don’t let them get to you,” Rowanheart warned, casting a long look at the older warrior. “MarshClan gives us much more to worry about anyway.”

Shellpaw decided not to ask about that. She’d heard stories of them notoriously finding loopholes in the code to do as they please. _I could never imagine myself associating with either of these Clans!_ she thought, shaking her head.

 

* * *

 

 

A few days had passed since then, and Shellpaw happily trotted into the nursery with a shrew she had caught that morning. _My first catch as an apprentice, before either of my brothers!_ she thought as she placed it on the ground in front of Cinderlight. “Here you go,” she mewed.

The gray queen looked up at her and purred. “Thank you, Shellpaw. I’m so proud of you!” Shellpaw fidgeted under the praise.

Suddenly, soft wailing could be heard from the entrance. Shellpaw stuck her head outside to see Crowclaw and Volepaw hurrying into camp, with the tom gingerly leaning on her. “It’s alright, we’ll get it treated,” Crowclaw reassured him as they walked to the medicine den.

“Volepaw!” Shellpaw called, racing in their direction. She burst into the den, where Flowerfall was finding herbs while Crowclaw set Volepaw in a nest. “What happened?”

Crowclaw didn’t look at Shellpaw when she answered, “Ripplepaw and Volepaw were practicing battle moves and Ripplepaw had his claws unsheathed and slashed him in the face. I think the blood is getting in his eye...”

Shellpaw gasped, then looked at her brother. The wound was deep, deeper than she expected, and while there were a pawful of scratches on the side of his face, the largest one reached from above his eye to his cheek. His eye was squeezed shut from the blood.

Flowerfall applied a yellow poultice to the wound, and Volepaw hissed through his teeth. After watching for a few more seconds, Shellpaw tore herself away from the medicine den to find Ripplepaw and figure out what exactly happened. _I know Ripplepaw can sometimes get rough with Volepaw but... would he actually hurt him on purpose? It can’t be what it looks like._

Shellpaw was about to run out of camp before she saw Sweetflower brush through the entrance followed by Ripplepaw. Both their tails were lashing, and it was the angriest she had ever seen the soft-spoken she-cat. Shellpaw walked over to her brother and hissed quietly, “What did you do?”

Ripplepaw‘s ears flattened against his head, and Shellpaw felt a twinge of regret. “It was an accident!” he insisted. The tortoiseshell narrowed her eyes. “He didn’t defend himself and he got hurt, what else do you want me to tell you?”

“You’re not supposed to have your claws out!” Shellpaw hissed.

“Cats in battle won’t have their claws sheathed. I was doing him a favor!’

“By giving him a scar?”

Ripplepaw glared at her, eyes blazing, then pushed past her and stalked to the apprentice’s den. Shellpaw sighed, letting her fur smooth back out. Hopefully this really was an accident, and the only time it ever happened. She didn’t know if she could continue watching her brothers act like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has a lot of stuff in it I know but!!! things go down next chapter, this was just to set things up a little more


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> buckle up
> 
> I’ve been wanting to write this chapter for so long so it came out really easy and that’s why I uploaded it so fast lol
> 
> thanks for all the feedback guys!!

Hollystar still permitted Ripplepaw to go to the Gathering. The tabby told him it was an accident, and Volepaw even helped by saying it was partially his fault and that he forgave him. It didn’t take much convincing, though; Shellpaw had never known Hollystar to have a mean bone in his body. He probably felt pity for both of them.

Shellpaw didn’t. She watched her brothers eat prey together, watched the pink scar slide down Volepaw’s face like a snake. She loved them both, of course, and it very likely could have been a mistake on Ripplepaw’s end. He was always a fierce play fighter as a kit, and his claws slipped out from excitement. Shellpaw bit into her vole and chewed on the possibility.

But, if that was the case, Ripplepaw should have shown more remorse for scarring his brother’s face. Instead, he was talking and laughing with him like nothing had happened. But Volepaw wasn’t looking for remorse, and he even forgave him... Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as Shellpaw thought it was. She sighed and went to bury her bones, trying not to think about it too hard.

Later that night, the cats were leaving the camp to go to the Gathering. Nothing else had been said about the accident earlier that day, yet Volepaw still prefered to walk on one side of Shellpaw, while Ripplepaw was on the other. “For no reason at all, really,” he insisted, but Shellpaw and Ripplepaw both knew that wasn’t the case. Shellpaw decided to just let it go for now and enjoy the Gathering.

The stones on the territory bathed in pale moonlight, turning them silver, and the river glittered with the reflection of Silverpelt above them. StoneClan wasn’t a very religious Clan - that role went to BurrowClan for so diligently following the code and StarClan’s word - and the only cats who really spoke to StarClan anymore were Hollystar and Flowerfall. They hadn’t lost faith, of course; they just believed the stars were their ancestors and nothing more.

Despite this, Shellpaw enjoyed looking up at the stars. She could feel the eyes of past StoneClan warriors, like the ones she heard of that died from the rogue battle, or Rosewish, who died at the beginning of Hollystar’s leadership. She hadn’t met any of these cats, but she could feel a connection, and knew that she was safe in their paws.

The group of cats trekked alongside the river, which led the way to the stepping stones that crossed into MarshClan territory. It was the only piece of land between them that wasn’t fought over constantly. Shellpaw gazed at the scenery around them until she spotted Hollystar’s green eyes glancing at her as they walked. When they made contact, he flicked her tail. Shellpaw blinked, then scurried ahead of her brothers to fall in step with Hollystar.

The tom was about the height Shellpaw was as a four moon old kit, but appeared much more mature, and now she stood nearly a head taller than him. She felt awkward, but Hollystar seemed very used to this, and he showed no signs of embarrassment.

“I heard what happened with Volepaw this morning,” he meowed, looking at her as they walked.

Shellpaw gulped and nodded. “I’m sorry, Hollystar.”

He shook his head. “It’s not your fault. What happens between them isn’t your doing,” he assured her. “I know he can be pretty spiteful and easily tempted to fight. But I want you to know that if you think anyone is in danger due to Ripplepaw’s actions, you can tell me or Rowanheart about it.”

A chill went down Shellpaw’s spine as she dipped her head.“I understand.” Hollystar twitched his whiskers, then bounded back to the front of the group, as they were almost to the stepping stones.

Was Ripplepaw really dangerous enough to warrant protection from? He was only an apprentice, and the scratch had been an accident. _Supposedly_ , said a voice in her head, and Shellpaw promptly ignored it before it could continue. Everything was fine, and it wouldn’t happen again. She didn’t notice when her brothers caught back up to her. They didn’t say a thing.

The StoneClan cats crossed the river and walked along the sandy shore. The reeds stopped growing here, and Shellpaw felt exposed. But the sand and pebbles felt nice on her feet, and reminded her of camp.

“Is that MarshClan?” Ripplepaw asked beside her, and Shellpaw turned her head to where he was looking. Another group of cats had gathered beside the land bridge, and had stopped when they saw the StoneClan cats getting closer. Under the moonlight, Shellpaw could see the fur on their legs stuck out from being wet, and she tilted her head.

When Hollystar stopped beside them, Shellpaw tried not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of the swamp water. The MarshClan leader stood out against the other cats; she had long mottled fur and a squashed face, with drooping whiskers. Her green eyes shone with starlight, and she almost seemed ghostly with her age.

“Hello, Lizardstar,” Hollystar mewed, dipping his head.

Lizardstar returned the gesture. “The weather is changing. Leaf-fall will be here soon,” she said, fluffing out her coat.

“I hope prey will still run swiftly for all the Clans.”

Lizardstar purred laughing. “Sentimental as always, Hollystar. We’ll let you cross first this time.”

Hollystar nodded in thanks, then started walking across the land bridge. The StoneClan cats continued after him, followed by MarshClan. Shellpaw stretched her neck to look over the shoulders of the warriors ahead of her, and could see a mass of cats already on the island. “BurrowClan’s already here!” she said, louder than she intended.

“That’s the earliest I’ve ever seen them,” scoffed Frogwhisker, who had been travelling next to the apprentices. “That probably means they have something they want.”

“Not every Clan is against us,” said Birchpelt, trailing behind her. Frogwhisker growled under her breath, refusing to respond. They hadn’t gotten along since Cinderlight and her siblings were born, according to the Clan, but Shellpaw found that hard to believe; they could be found either avoiding each other or arguing if they ended up in the same proximity.

Shellpaw and her brothers reached the island, and she immediately wanted to get away from any adult bickering. How were you supposed to tell the apprentices from everyone else? The three siblings craned their necks looking for younger cats, but had no idea what they were doing.

“Hey, I remember you!” called a voice from somewhere, and Shellpaw swiveled her head to the source. A white tom pushed his way through the wave of cats. “You’re the StoneClan cats from the patrol!”

The name clicked in Shellpaw’s head. _That’s Dewpaw!_ He was taller and thicker than them, and he still had dirty legs and paws. Before any of the three could speak, Ripplepaw blurted out, “Can we sit with you?”

Dewpaw purred. “Of course! Follow me.” He turned and dove into the crowd. Ripplepaw was the first to follow him. Volepaw looked at his sister, then shrugged and went along with it. Shellpaw really didn’t want to be alone her first Gathering, so she sighed and hurried after the boys. Dewpaw had his stark white tail up in the air for them to watch.

They walked until they were at the edge of the island, where the water dared to lap at their paws. Shellpaw sat with Volepaw, while Ripplepaw sat closer to Dewpaw. With them were two other cats that Dewpaw introduced: Cedarpaw, the BurrowClan medicine cat apprentice, and Littlepaw, an apprentice from MarshClan.

“Why are your pelts so dirty?” Ripplepaw asked all the she-cats, and Shellpaw prodded him sharply.

Dewpaw simply laughed, and Ripplepaw fidgeted, something unusual for him. “We live in burrows in the ground, so we constantly make bigger dens or hunt for animals in them. It also helps us blend into the forest.”

“Even Barktail and I put our herbs in the ground,” Cedarpaw added, the purred, “We just love the feeling of dirt on our pelts!”

Littlepaw then spoke up, “There’s no point in washing our pelts, either; we wade in the marshes all the time, and our dens are the only dry places in camp!”

Volepaw tilted his head. “What happens if the water freezes over?”

“We walk on the squishy land around it until it melts,” she responded. The rest of the cats nodded in understanding, eyes wide. For once, Shellpaw felt at place with cats her age. Sedgepaw and Reedpaw were almost warriors and hardly talked to them.

They didn’t have time to discuss more before Lizardstar yowled from her place on a tree branch. Silence directly followed. Everyone turned intently on the three leaders. They all sat on their own birch trees, the biggest ones out of the whole island. Their deputies sat on branches below them.

“The Gathering starts now, as does the truce of peace,” Lizardstar said, her voice gruff but light-hearted. “Lichenstar, would you like to start?”

The gray she-cat nodded, the spots on her coat turning silver. “The leaves are turning red, and the animals are starting to hide more often in our burrows, making it easier for us to hunt. We also made a new warrior a few nights after the last Gathering, Beetleflight.”

Cheers of the warrior’s name rang through the sky, and Shellpaw realized this was normal and joined in, too. Cedarpaw shouted louder than the rest of the apprentices, and when it died down, she whispered to them, “He’s my brother!” Shellpaw purred for her.

“There have been a couple of instances of trespassers, but nothing to report or increase our border patrol over,” Lichenstar finished, then sat back down on her branch with grace. She nodded her head to Hollystar, who rose to his paws.

“We have three new apprentices. Shellpaw, Volepaw, and Ripplepaw, mentored by Rowanheart, Crowclaw, and Sweetflower.”

The cats cheered their names too, and Shellpaw’s pelt grew hot in embarrassment. Volepaw flattened his ears, while Ripplepaw basked in the attention.

Hollystar nodded and continued, “Cinderlight and Sandstrike also had two kits, and perhaps more are expected later this year.”

He dipped his head to Lizardstar, who huffed and stood up. “First, our medicine cat apprentice was named Mapledew last half moon.” Shouts of her name echoed for a few moments, and Shellpaw thought she caught a glimpse of the russet colored she-cat glaring at her paws.

When the cheers died down, Lizardstar narrowed her eyes. “We’ve caught scent of foxes in our territory, and I believe some have been catching our prey.”

Murmurs of surprise rippled through the gathered cats. Lizardstar turned her gaze to Lichenstar. “More than that, they carry scents from the forest. We almost blamed BurrowClan until we realized it was the foxes. I advise you to be more cautious, Lichenstar, especially if you also have a rogue problem.”

Lichenstar lashed her tail. “BurrowClan needs help from no one, we can manage on our own.” A few cats from BurrowClan agreed loudly.

“I’m sure you can, but I hope you heed my warnings,” Lizardstar replied lowly, then cast her gaze back onto the clearing. “This Gathering is over. Have a safe trip back home.” With that, she leapt onto the ground, and Shellpaw felt she could break at any moment doing that. The other leaders jumped down as well, and gathered their cats to leave.

“That was weird,” Ripplepaw said, rising to his paws. Shellpaw couldn’t but agree; Lichenstar was much colder than she looked.

Volepaw kneaded the ground anxiously. “Do you think the foxes will come onto our territory? I mean, the forest is on our land, too...”

Ripplepaw scoffed. “You’re worrying over nothing, I’m sure it’s fine. If they wanted something out of the forest, they would have stayed there.”

“I guess you’re right,” Volepaw muttered, but he didn’t look sure. Shellpaw brushed her tail along his spine to comfort him.

“It was nice meeting you!” Dewpaw said, waving his tail as he left, Cedarpaw bouncing behind him.

“Bye!” Ripplepaw called back. The three siblings then walked home with the rest of StoneClan, pelts brushing and purring.

 

* * *

 

 

Shellpaw woke up later than she intended, with the sun lighting up the apprentice’s den with an orange glow. Blinking away sleep, the she-cat stretched and looked over at Ripplepaw, whose flank was still rising and falling. Volepaw was gone; perhaps he was already on morning patrol. She paused, then licked Ripplepaw’s ear before heading out of the den to find Rowanheart.

The deputy was sending out the last hunting patrol, and when she turned to Shellpaw she nodded. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” Shellpaw said, curling her tail in delight. “What are we doing today?”

“Well, I was hoping to get in some hunting practice before-“ Rowanheart stopped. Her ears swiveled to the entrance, and Shellpaw heard it too: distraught yowling.

Mossnose, Shellpaw’s elder sister of a different litter, ran into camp, green eyes wide and her fur fluffed out.

Rowanheart narrowed her eyes. “Mossnose, what happened?”

Mossnose made crazed eye contact with Shellpaw and breathed, “Volepaw... is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the Gathering was important I promise lol
> 
> Also rip in pepperoni my dude


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rip Volepaw 2k17

The morning patrol found Volepaw’s body by the river, hidden behind the reeds and stones. His eyes were still open, wide and pale, and he was stretched out like he was asleep. His stomach was cut open from his chest to his hind legs. Blood had poured from the slash into the river, but it had washed away already, leaving streaks of blood trailing down the shore as the only evidence he was alive.

Shellpaw saw one glance of it, then turned her back. Bile rose in her throat, and her heart burned. There were so many thoughts in her head that she had no idea what to think at one time. She breathed hard, trying to get any air in.

Ripplepaw was next to her, and when she turned around he nestled his muzzle over her neck, brushing their fur together. His tail wrapped around hers. He must have been choked up, too, because his breathing was deep and she could feel his legs shaking.

“We need to take his body back to camp before anything else,” Rowanheart said from the riverbank. Mossnose, Stoneshadow, and Sandstrike nodded from where they gathered around him. They bent down to pick up his body and put it on their backs, while Rowanheart padded over to Shellpaw and Ripplepaw.

“Let me take you two to the medicine den for some poppy seeds,” she whispered, laying her tail on Shellpaw’s back. The apprentice didn’t hear her from the blood rushing in her ears, but she got up when Ripplepaw did and stayed by his side as they walked.

They settled into the den, words were exchanged, and small black seeds were placed in front of her. Shellpaw still wasn’t listening. It felt like clouds were stuck in her head and ears. As she lapped up the seeds, her mind started to think again.

 _What happened to Volepaw? When did he leave camp and go to the river? What was he doing there?_ The questions hurled through her mind, and she shook her head to clear them out. It hurt too much to think right now.

The three cats stepped outside of the medicine den to see cats already gathering around Volepaw’s body. “Poppynose is out hunting; we won’t bury him until she gets back,” Rowanheart meowed. “For now, you can help groom the blood out of his fur, and share tongues with him one last time.” With that she went to Hollystar’s den, most likely to tell him what happened.

“I don’t want to look at him anymore,” Shellpaw murmured, shrinking back a few pawsteps. She hated that the last image of Volepaw she remembered would be his bloody carcass. It made her sick.

“Come on,” Ripplepaw hissed in her ear, leading her to the crowd of mourning cats. He was awful at comforting.

They returned to his body, other cats moving out of the way for them. When Shellpaw’s tongue hit his body, it was cold, and she hesitated for a few seconds to control her nerves before continuing. She licked his back and head, while Ripplepaw offered to lick the bloody areas. Sunsplash had started helping Shellpaw at some point, and he was quiet while he did so. How much was he actually mourning over his dead son?

When they removed most of the blood, Crowclaw, Berryfur, and Poppynose returned with prey dangling in their mouths. The tortoiseshell saw who was in the center of the clearing, she dropped the prey from her jaws and rushed to her kit. She loomed over him, chest beating. “Is he... is he...” she choked.

Sunsplash answered by nuzzling her head and rubbing his tail along her spine. Poppynose wailed and buried her nose into her fur, grooming any part of his body she could get to. But then she saw the cut along his stomach and froze.

“Who did this?” she breathed. When there was no answer, she turned to the group of cats and hissed, “Who did this?”

Rowanheart and Hollystar came out of his den and walked back to Volepaw’s corpse. “There were no scents on him besides the blood,” the golden she-cat said.

“Did the river wash them away?” Poppynose asked, narrowing her eyes.

Frogwhisker hissed from the corner, “Whoever did it either doesn’t exist or knows how to cover their scent exceptionally well.”

Flowerfall returned from her den with rosemary and lavender, pushing clumsily through the circle of cats to get to the middle. “Shellpaw, could you please smooth down the fur by his scar and cover it up?”

Shellpaw drearily nodded and obliged. He almost looked sleep when she was done, if not for his eyes drawn open in fear. Flowerfall began weaving flowers into his fur, much like her own, covering the smell of blood with flowery fragrance.

Flowerfall settled next to Shellpaw and said the proper farewell to her brother. “May StarClan light your path, Volepaw. May you find good hunting, swift running, and shelter when you sleep.” The clearing fell silent for a few moments.

The only question that repeated in Shellpaw’s head was “What happened?” and so far no answers were coming to her.

The one yelling at her the most was that Ripplepaw killed him, but her heart refused to let it be true. Ripplepaw wouldn’t have been so upset if he did; they were brothers! Of course, that didn’t stop him from cutting Volepaw’s face open... Shellpaw shoved the thought out of her head. It wasn’t him.

Another good possibility was that it was someone from MarshClan, but what reason would anyone there have to kill Volepaw? He hadn’t met any of them yet. There were always the quarrels with MarshClan over the river and lake, but nothing this serious. To Shellpaw, though, it was a higher possibility than Ripplepaw doing it.

_The lack of scent is going to make things so much more difficult!_

Hollystar jumped on the Threestones while everyone was still gathered, with Rowanheart on the second stone below him. There was hurt in his eyes, and Shellpaw realized the impact Volepaw had on everyone before he died. “We will bury Volepaw now, and any cat who who wishes to sit vigil tonight can. He would have grown to be a great asset to our Clan, and I pray StarClan take care of him.” He heaved a long sigh. “In the meantime, we need to figure out who killed Volepaw, and prevent it from happening again. I want my Clan to be safe and protected from further harm we can prevent.”

“Does anyone know of Volepaw’s whereabouts last night?” Rowanheart asked, scanning the clearing over.

A dull silence fell over. Then, Sedgepaw stood on all four legs and spoke out, “I saw Ripplepaw and Volepaw leave the den together, but only Ripplepaw returned.”

Shellpaw quickly looked to her. I didn’t feel that happen at all! she thought in alarm. Ripplepaw started to growl from beside her.

Hollystar looked down at him. “Is this true, Ripplepaw?”

Ripplepaw hesitated, then nodded. Shellpaw’s heart pounded harder. “He had to go make dirt, and I went with him. We went to separate places, but I never saw him return from wherever he went. And I didn’t think to check where he was, I figured he wouldn’t get himself killed.” He hissed the last part, and Shellpaw wanted to box his ears. If he was trying to convince them he didn’t kill Volepaw, that wasn’t the right way to go about it.

 _Unless, of course, he_ did _do it_ , said that voice again. Shellpaw shrugged it off.

A clamor rose from the cats. “Why did you go to different places to make dirt?” Stoneshadow challenged, tail lashing. “There’s only one established place to go, and it would be safer to be together anyway.”

Hollystar gazed around the clearing for another cat, then said, “Firebreeze, you were guarding camp last night. Did you see them leave camp together?”

The ginger tom blinked in surprise at being called like this, then cleared his throat. “Yes, I did, Hollystar.”

“Which way did they go?”

“They both went toward the river, but I couldn’t see if they split or not.”

More cats started hissing, speaking out, or shouting accusations across the clearing. Ripplepaw’s fur bristled, and his teeth bared as he shot back, “I didn’t do it!”

Shellpaw looked around and found their mother, still sitting next to Volepaw’s body. Her eyes were wide, as if in complete shock. Was she shocked they were accusing one of her sons of killing the other? Or that he really went that far and did? Shellpaw couldn’t tell, and she didn’t want to know. Sunsplash showed no signs of further comforting her; instead he sat with his eyes narrowed at Ripplepaw.

Hollystar waved his tail for silence, and when the cats settled, he announced. “Let’s not begin throwing around accusations until we get the full story. Ripplepaw’s only an apprentice, and there’s no sure way to know it’s him without a scent.” He gave the tabby tom a sympathetic glance before continuing. “I will take a patrol with me at sun high to talk to Lizardstar, and see if they know anything. The elders will bury Volepaw, and then we will carry out warrior duties as usual.” He jumped off the rock and went into his den between the rocks and the willow tree, and Rowanheart followed him.

Shellpaw let out a deep breath. Ripplepaw was safe, for now. But most of StoneClan didn’t believe him, and sooner or later they’d want direct answers. If whatever killed Volepaw was a serious threat, they didn’t want it striking again. Shellpaw secretly hoped someone in MarshClan did it, so that Ripplepaw couldn’t be accused like this.

Dustfur and Morningleaf hoisted Volepaw onto their backs, and Shellpaw, Ripplepaw, and Poppynose followed to help dig the hole and bury him. They were silent as they walked, and Poppynose avoided eye contact with her son. Shellpaw could somewhat understand why, but her heart lurched for Ripplepaw, who stared at his paws.

They decided to bury him close to where he died, by the river, underneath a large stone that jutted out above the cats’ heads. The younger cats dug the hole, and the elders slowly lowered him in. When they were done, all five cats hung their heads for a final prayer, then started on their way back to camp.

But Poppynose stayed behind, and Shellpaw looked over her shoulder to see Poppynose laid next to the grave, tail curled around her like a kit.

“Don’t worry about her,” Dustfur said beside her. “I’m sure losing a kit is hard. She needs time to grieve.”

Shellpaw sighed. “I know. I do, too.” Dustfur gave her a lick on the cheek, then continued helping Morningleaf get back to camp.

When they returned, Hollystar was waiting for them at the entrance, and rose to his paws when Shellpaw entered. Her heart jumped into her throat.

“Shellpaw, can you come with me for a second?” he asked. His eyes were gentle, which calmed her nerves a little bit.

She nodded. They walked side by side to the other side of camp, away from other cats. They stopped, and he looked at her and meowed, “I’d like you to come on the patrol with me. I know how close you are to both your brothers, so I’m sure you’d like to know what happened as well.”

Shellpaw averted her gaze. _You have no idea._ “Yes, Hollystar.”

 


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyy I’m back
> 
> The chapters long to make up for it being over a month lol

Hollystar’s MarshClan patrol consisted of four other cats: Rowanheart, Sandstrike, Flowerfall, and Shellpaw. The apprentice knew she was basically a fill in for Poppynose, who hadn’t said a word since Volepaw was buried. She carried out her duties without argument and hardly shared tongues with anyone, even her mate. Though, to be fair, Sunsplash was hardly trying to comfort her.

The patrol traveled along the river, making their way to the stepping stones by the lake. Hollystar said he preferred they found a MarshClan patrol, but they’d cross into their territory if they had to. Thankfully, a patrol was seen coming over the hill, toward the river, and the swamp stench got even stronger.

“Hello, Hollystar,” said the long haired tom at the front of the group, dipping his head. The ends of his fur were soaking wet, and Shellpaw kept from wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Hollystar nodded. “Greetings, Turtlestep,” he replied. “We need to speak to Lizardstar about something important.”

A ginger she-cat stepped closer and hissed, “Something you couldn’t have said at the Gathering?” Turtlestep glared at her and put his sweeping tail in front of her.

“We only found it this morning,” Rowanheart said, her voice lowered close to a growl. “But it’s fairly urgent.”

Turtlestep thought for a second, then nodded. “Come along.” The StoneClan patrol found a rock jutting out from the river and used it to hop across. It was more dangerous than the stepping stones, but Shellpaw knew her Clan could balance much better on them than the other two.

They headed to the MarshClan camp, which was hidden behind a hill and farther from the swampy mess. The grass squelched under Shellpaw’s toes. There were so many small streams running through the territory that it really was hard to not get wet. She was thankful to get into the camp through the reeds, where the ground was dry and solid.

Lizardstar came out of her den when the group approached. The two leaders dipped their heads at each other in greeting. “What brings you here, Hollystar?” she asked, tail swinging.

Hollystar heaved a sigh and said, “We found one of our apprentices dead on our side of the river. There were no scents anywhere around him. We know it happened sometime between the end of the gathering and this morning, but we don’t know by who.”

Lizardstar narrowed her eyes. “And you think it was someone from MarshClan that did it?” she asked.

“That’s not something for certain,” Hollystar quickly reassured her. “But it is a possibility, and I’d just like to see all the probable suspects before we make a decision.”

Lizardstar’s eyes were still sharp, and Shellpaw flinched, hoping she didn’t explode in anger. But the tortoiseshell she-cat simply nodded and said, “I understand. I highly doubt it was anyone from our Clan, as there’s no reason to cause a fight like this, but I will ask to be sure.”

The patrol of cats watched as the old she-cat leapt onto a ledge that stuck out over the rest of the camp. MarshClan cats gathered without her having to call; they were already on edge from the bordering Clan’s leader being on their territory.

“Was any cat around the StoneClan border last night? Or saw anyone head that way?”

Cats began muttering to each other, in surprise or confusion. A blue-gray tom raised his voice among the others. “I was guarding the camp last night, and I only saw Lilypaw leave and come back. I assume it was to make dirt, though.”

The cream she-cat lifted her head when her name was called, her eyes wide in fear. Lizardstar nodded her head. “Thank you, Bluewing. We will investigate further, but for now I want you all to be careful around there. And Turtlestep, I want increased patrols by the StoneClan border.”

Turtlestep nodded. Hollystar dipped his head to the MarshClan leader. “Thank you,” he said.

Lizardstar leapt back down. The chattering of the Clan didn’t stop after the meeting, and even a few stres of shock or anger were thrown at the StoneClan cats. Shellpaw shirked away, hiding closer to Rowanheart.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Lizardstar said softly. “May StarClan light your path.”

“And yours as well,” Hollystar replied. Turtlestep and his patrol took the StoneClan cats back to the river and let them cross, then returned to their own border patrol. The cats walked back to camp, tails low. Shellpaw felt they were at the same place as when they started.

“What are we going to do now?” Rowanheart asked Hollystar as they walked.

Hollystar shook his head. “We wait and hope for the best. For now, I want the rest of the Clan to remain safe. We’ll increase border patrols as well, and I don’t want any cats going outside of camp without a warrior with them.”

Shellpaw knew he was trying to make things better, but the idea of upping security all over the territory was making her even more nervous. It was like they were expecting another murder. And they still had no idea of who did it, so no idea of what to look out for. She felt like something bad would happen despite the precautions taken. She walked closer to Rowanheart, fear tingling up her paws and through to her tail tip.

When they came in through the entrance, a hunting patrol followed after, one that Ripplepaw was in. He came in with only a small mouse. He quickly set it down in the fresh-kill pile and said, “How did it go?” His eyes were wide and nervous.

Shellpaw looked at her paws. “Lizardstar asked them about last night, but no one said anything of use.”

“Of course they didn’t,” Ripplepaw hissed, turning away. “Killers don’t admit so easily.”

“But we don’t even know if they did it!” Shellpaw replied, stepping closer to him.

“Who else could it have been?”

Shellpaw stammered under his waiting gaze, burning with anger. Though, if she looked deep enough, she could tell it was more frustration than anything. When she couldn’t come up with an answer, Ripplepaw hissed under his breath and stalked into the apprentice’s den.

She stared at where he had disappeared, her heart pounding so loud she was sure the whole camp could hear it. He wasn’t mad at her, was he? Did he think she believed it was him? Even if the rest of the Clan did, she would never accuse her brother like that.

 

* * *

 

A moon passed since Volepaw’s death. The moon glistened above like a pool of milk, and the stars twinkled fiercer than Shellpaw had seen before. She hoped Volepaw was watching her and Ripplepaw, proud of their progress in becoming warriors. She wondered if he could hear her prayers, or even thoughts. Which star was his? She watched the night sky for a few moments, waiting for a twinkle or a sign.

Nothing happened. Shellpaw sighed and turned her attention back to her mother, who sat with her next to the fresh-kill pile. Shellpaw had placed a shrew at Poppynose’s paws that the queen had barely sniffed at.

“Mother, you need to eat before you go to sleep,” she insisted, nudging the prey closer.

Poppynose just somberly shook her head.

Shellpaw sighed. “I know you miss him,” she mewed quietly. “I do, too. But don’t you think he’d want you to eat?”

Poppynose stared down at the shrew, then took a small bite out of it, chewing slowly. Mossnose padded over and wrapped her tail around their mother. “I’m not going to the Gathering tonight, so I’ll make sure she finishes,” she said. Her amber eyes turned golden in the moonlight, wide with worry.

“Thank you,” Shellpaw said. Mossnose licked Shellpaw’s cheek, then murmured into Poppynose’s ear something so quiet she couldn’t hear it.

Ripplepaw came up behind her, brushing her body with his. “Hollystar’s gathering the cats who are leaving,” he said, then rolled his eyes. “Reedpaw and Sedgepaw are coming this time.”

As the two cats turned and walked toward the camp entrance, Shellpaw purred, “You know how much they’re going to brag tonight. They’re only a moon away from becoming warriors!”

“At least the den will be far less crowded soon,” Ripplepaw muttered as the two older apprentices joined the group. It wasn’t Reedpaw that was a problem, really; he simply enjoyed exploring the territory and unknowingly helping his sister get into trouble. Sedgepaw would start rumors that would start small but turn into a raging wildfire that Hollystar would often have to put a stop to. When Shellpaw and her brothers were still kits, she remembered Sedgepaw telling everyone that Firebreeze and Sandstrike were mates. Of course it wasn’t true, but Sedgepaw just got a kick out of watching cats stress out.

Two kits stumbled out of the nursery toward Shellpaw and Ripplepaw, fur fluffed out in excitement. “Shellpaw!” cried the ginger she-kit, jumping at Shellpaw’s feet. “Can we come to the Gathering with you?”

Shellpaw turned to look at her and shook her head. “You won’t be allowed to go until you’re an apprentice, Rosekit. You should be asleep right now,” she replied gently.

Rosekit pouted while the other, a gray she-kit, caught up with her sister. “Please? We promise we’ll be good.”

Cinderlight stuck her head out of the nursery with warm eyes and called, “Cinderkit! Rosekit! Don’t bother the warriors, they’re about to leave!” The kits giggled to each other and bounded back to mother, but not without Cinderkit calling back, “Tell us what happens!”

“We will,” Shellpaw answered as they disappeared into the den. She had been helping take care of the kits since they were born, a day after she became an apprentice, so they grew quite fondly of her. Meanwhile, they saw Ripplepaw as someone to play with, and loved chasing his tail.

It was a good distraction from their brother’s death. Any distraction was enough for Shellpaw.

When StoneClan arrived at the meeting, they were the last ones this time. When they arrived, Ripplepaw immediately started glancing around as they looked for a place to sit.

“What are you doing?” Shellpaw asked hushedly, tilting her head.

“Looking for Dewpaw,” he muttered. Shellpaw blinked in surprise, then made eye contact with Cedarpaw, who was sitting a ways away. She flicked her tail to show Ripplepaw, then made her way over and sat down. Littlepaw was the only other one there.

Ripplepaw swiveled his head to look over the crowd. “Where’s Dewpaw?” he asked.

“He wasn’t invited to go to the Gathering this time. But next time you see him, he should be a warrior,” Cedarpaw replied, whiskers twitching. “Nice to see you, too,” she added teasingly.

Ripplepaw shuffled his paws uneasily. “Oh.”

Littlepaw raised her muzzle, sniffing the air. “Where’s Volepaw?” she asked, eyes wide.

Shellpaw opened her mouth to explain why before Lizardstar howled for the meeting to start. She looked at Hollystar, and the tom nodded with a heavy breath.

He stepped forward to the edge of the branch. “Volepaw, a StoneClan apprentice, was found dead by the river next to MarshClan territory.”

Voices rose in alarm in waves across the clearing, much more overwhelming than a normal Clan meeting. Shellpaw’s heart beat wildly again, and her paws and ears felt numb. Ripplepaw’s tail rubbed on her back as the leader continued to speak.

“We have no idea who or what killed him, as there were no scents on the body. But there is always a chance whoever killed him can strike again, and I want to keep not only my Clan safe, but the other Clans as well.” Hollystar looked at Lichenstar, whose face was unreadable.

“I understand your concern, Hollystar,” she said smoothly. “But BurrowClan will stay safe, as long as we have StarClan by our side.”

Lizardstar scoffed from where she sat. “You always say that, and never protect your cats from real threats.” Lichenstar watched her quietly. “A real danger will happen soon, and StarClan won’t always be there to save you. And neither will MarshClan.” A silence fell, everyone anxiously glancing at the moon in case StarClan grew angry. But there was no sign.

Lichenstar turned her attention back to the Gathering. “My son, Dewpaw, will be a warrior by the next moon, and three kits will be apprenticed soon as well. We are growing strong, despite the coming leaf-fall.”

Shellpaw wanted to listen to the rest of the news, but her heart caught in her throat, and her ears were full of cotton. This was their first Gathering without Volepaw, she realized, and he would never be with them again. He wouldn’t be able to become a warrior with them. Stand at her side during their ceremony, hold digit together that night. Could she handle Clan life without him until then?

Ripplepaw had stepped in front of Shellpaw and was saying something, his eyes wide. She couldn’t hear him. She couldn’t think. She was breathing too hard. Without another word, she turned and pushed her way through the crowd, then ran across the land bridge that connected the island and MarshClan, headed straight to StoneClan. She cross the river and immediately dove into shelter between two fallen rocks.

It was quiet and dark in there, somewhere she could think. _Why did I suddenly freak out like that? I wasn’t even thinking too much about Volepaw until then. I’m such a mouse-brain!_

Still breathing heavy, she gazed out of her shelter to see if Ripplepaw had followed her. When the coast was clear, she sighed and decided to wait there until the Gathering was over. She didn’t want anyone seeing her or talking to her. She just wanted to be alone.

Time seemed to freeze as Shellpaw curled up in her den. She couldn’t fall asleep; if she did, she figured she wouldn’t get back to camp until morning, and that wouldn’t work too well. Her thoughts eventually faded, and she was left sitting and wondering what to do.

When she felt like she had waited long enough, she stepped outside and went to the river. The moon was hanging lower now, and the stars were brighter. The Gathering had to be over by now. Hopefully.

Shellpaw walked until she found the place where Volepaw died. She hadn’t been there since he was buried. Rowanheart had avoided taking here there for the past noon, or anywhere near the water’s edge, except for the one day she learned how to fish. The blood was gone, and the water was clear, as if he had never died in the first place. The only way you could tell it was the place was the tall reeds in a group next to it.

The tortoiseshell sighed and collapsed on the ground where his body was. Her throat closed up again, but her eyes fluttered shut, and she realized she was too tired to care. She laid her head down and slowly fell into darkness, imagining her brother alive and sleeping by her side.

When Shellpaw woke, it was pitch black. Not like nighttime darkness. There were no stars, no moon. Not even any territory that she could see. She tried blinking to adjust her eyes, but still nothing.

_Where am I? Where’s StarClan?_

Suddenly, pawsteps came from in front of her, and a bright light began shining, illuminating the world in front of her. She was still at the river, but it was dark and unmoving. The grass under her was dead. Shellpaw raised her head to look at who was making the light. As it came closer, Shellpaw’s stomach rolled.

“Volepaw?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would anyone want to see some art of the characters??? 
> 
> I’ll make a tag called shellpaws dream on my tumblr of the same username and put my art in there
> 
> I’m not the best at drawing cats but whatever lol


	7. Chapter 6

The gray tom was there, but he wasn’t gray anymore. His pelt was see through; he was simply a glowing outline. His eyes were white, and shone brightly against the dark world, the only light illuminating the surrounding area.

There were no stars in his pelt, and the ground didn’t glow where he stepped. Nothing like the stories she was told of StarClan cats.

Before Shellpaw could say anything else, Volepaw hurried to meet her and rubbed his head by hers. “I’m so glad to see you!” he said happily. She drew in his earthy scent, and for a moment thought he was alive again. He suddenly pulled away, staring at her with wide eyes. “You’re not dead, are you?”

Shellpaw was quickly reminded of his death when she saw him. His scars from Ripplepaw stood out on his face, as well as the gash that killed him, reaching from his neck to tail, as well as any other scratches. The gash seemed to be dripping, but it was clear and glowed like the rest of him.

Shellpaw shook her head, trying not to stare at his stomach.

“Thank StarClan,” Volepaw sighed in relief. “Then how did you get here?”

“It’s the Gathering tonight, but I left early and fell asleep by where your body was.” Shellpaw narrowed her eyes slightly. _This must be only a dream, then. But how does it feel so real?_

The she-cat glanced around, then continued carefully, “You’re not in StarClan, are you?”

Volepaw shuffled his paws nervously. “I don't think so. I haven’t even seen any other cats around here. It’s just been me. But there’s water in the river, and prey to catch and eat. It’s just like our territory at home, except...”

“Except you’re dead,” Shellpaw said, her voice quivering.

Volepaw tilted his head, then pushed his muzzle to her head. “It’s fine, Shellpaw,” he attempted, but Shellpaw stepped away from him.

“It’s not fine!” she cried. “You’re dead! We don’t even know who killed you! Mother’s getting sick with being so sad and Ripplepaw doesn’t talk to me much anymore, it’s like he’s pretending you never existed! And Father... he hasn’t tried to do anything!”

Volepaw sat back, ears flat against his head. Shellpaw was breathing hard, and her face felt hot with anger, fear, and frustration. But not at him. She would never be.

The silence grew louder, until Shellpaw steadily breathed out, “Do you... know who killed you?”

“No,” Volepaw admitted. “I’ve tried thinking back on it, but I can’t seem to remember past leaving camp with Ripplepaw.”

Another silence. “You don’t... think it was Ripplepaw who killed you, do you?”

Volepaw blinked in surprise. “Not at all. He wasn’t around when I was killed, he was only with me at the dirtplace, and then we split up.”

Shellpaw got closer to her brother. “Why were you at the river, then? That’s where your body was.”

“I don’t know,” Volepaw said, shaking his head.

Shellpaw’s stomach tightened, then she glanced nervously at her paws. “I think I need to go. I don’t want anyone worrying about me.”

Volepaw blinked warmly at her and licked her cheek. It was cold, and almost felt like nothing. Shellpaw shuddered. “Maybe you’ll see me again, then,” he said.

Shellpaw nodded. At this point, she wasn’t sure what was dream and what was... Volepaw. The tom faded away, and she was returned to pitch black. When she blinked, she woke up back by the river. Shellpaw was frozen to the ground for a moment, but then she realized cats would notice she was gone and raced back to camp.

Her father and Ripplepaw were at the entrance, the younger cat pacing in front of the camp, and Sunsplash waiting patiently by the front. When she padded up, Ripplepaw noticed her and hissed, “Where were you?”

“I-I... was feeling sick so I left the Gathering to calm down,” she said carefully, avoiding his gaze. She wasn’t lying, technically, but it wasn’t the whole truth.

Ripplepaw gave her forehead a few forced licks. “Don’t just run off without warning anyone! I was worried something happened to you.”

Like getting killed. The words hung in the air but were never spoke as Ripplepaw and Shellpaw headed back to the apprentice den. When they passed Sunsplash, he simply gave her a blink of affection.

They curled into their dens, her head resting on his back, and Shellpaw was glad to finally have some peaceful sleep for once.

 

* * *

 

 

The next night, after thinking about it all day, Shellpaw waited until the moon hit its peak and fell asleep by the river again. She fell into inky blackness, but instead of dreaming of Volepaw, she dreamt of normal things, like hunting or running. She woke up disappointed, but at least she knew something important about that dream. Perhaps she could only speak to him on full moons.

Soon, she found her theory to be correct. The next quarter moon’s dreams didn’t include Volepaw either. The only way to really be sure, she figured, was to wait until the next Gathering and sneak out again. Her heart ached as she thought of only being able to see him once a moon. But, then again, that was more than Ripplepaw could ever say. Would she be able to tell him about her dream?

The mouse she was stalking squeaked in surprise and ran into the reeds, dropping its food. Shellpaw must have stepped too loudly. She watched it go in disappointment, waiting for her mentor’s harsh words.

“You need to pay more attention, Shellpaw,” Rowanheart said sternly from behind her.

Shellpaw flattened her ears, not bothering to turn. “I’m sorry.”

Rowanheart paused, then sighed and laid her tail across Shellpaw’s back. “I know how hard it is to lose your family.”

Shellpaw slowly looked at her mentor. She didn’t really want to talk about his death anymore, but maybe she needed to.

“Brackenclaw was my father. He died in the battle with the rogues, before Hollystar became leader. I was an apprentice at the time, and I remember fighting with him. I didn’t see him die, but I saw his body after.” Rowanheart exhaled deeply, then continued. “Morningleaf, my mother, was distraught, as is yours. Sunsplash and I were, too.”

Shellpaw kneaded her paws nervously. “How did you get over it so quickly?”

Rowanheart touched her nose to Shellpaw’s ear. “Eventually we realized that he died a noble death, and that’s just how life is for a warrior. You fight for your Clan, and you give up your life. And soon you’ll realize that, too.”

Shellpaw blinker, then pulled away from Rowanheart and said, “But Volepaw didn’t die a noble death. He was... he was killed and he didn’t deserve it.”

“Lots of warriors die,” Rowanheart replied. “You need to accept it in order to become a better warrior.”

Shellpaw’s throat tightened. Her chest seemed to fill with stones. Why did this always happen to her? She stared at Rowanheart for a heartbeat, then took off back to camp. The deputy called out to her, and she knew she’d get in trouble for it later, but she didn’t care. She even left her prey where it was buried.

She returned to camp to see Hollystar grooming his fur with Sweetflower and Crowclaw. The dark she-cat had been hurt by Volepaw’s death as well, being his mentor, but spending time with Sweetflower really improved her mood. Shellpaw wished she could say the same for her and Ripplepaw.

“Shellpaw,” Hollystar said, looking at her with concern. “You should be with the hunting patrol right now. What happened?”

Shellpaw realized she was still breathing hard, but found it hard to stop. “I started feeling lightheaded, so Rowanheart let me come back,” she lied. How often would she have to keep lying like this?

Hollystar nodded in understanding and flicked his tail to the medicine den. “Go see Flowerfall and see what she thinks, and then get some rest.”

Shellpaw remembered on her way over to Flowerfall that she could ask her about her weird dream the other night. Medicine cats always got dreams from dead cats. Maybe it meant something? What if she was destined to become a medicine cat? By the time she walked into the den, anxiety was gnawing at her stomach even further.

Flowerfall was sitting in the corner, sorting dried leaves from fresh ones. One of her green eyes would roll to the side, and she’d have to blink to get it back in place. Shellpaw wondered how hard it was to do some things with her eye like that.

The silver she-cat looked up and purred. “Hello, Shellpaw. What’s wrong?”

Shellpaw sighed and sat down. There were so many ways to go with this. “I was out hunting with Rowanheart, and we started talking about Volepaw and I started feeling sick and breathing hard,” she said. At least that was the truth.

Flowerfall dug around in her herb storage, and found something farther in the back. “This is goatweed,” she said, pushing it closer to her. It helps keep you from being nervous. If it doesn’t work today, come back and I’ll give you some poppy seeds.”

Shellpaw bend down and ate the plant, ignoring the bitter taste. At this point, she didn’t care what it took, she just wanted relief. It felt like she was being haunted.

When she finished, she looked back up to Flowerfall and sighed before saying, “Can I ask you something? About a dream I had?”

Flowerfal’s ear flicked in acknowledgement as she continued sorting leaves.

“I talked to Volepaw in it. He wasn’t starry, though. It was just dark, and his eyes glowed.”

Flowerfall looked up at her. “That doesn’t sound like a StarClan dream,” she admitted. “Perhaps you just miss him so much that you’re dreaming of him. Had this happened when he first died?”

Shellpaw shook her head “It felt too real to just be a dream, though. Why did he look so different?”

“It could have been just a weird dream from your anxieties, Shellpaw,” she said gently. “But if these dreams persist, just let me know, alright?”

Shellpaw sighed and nodded, turning to leave the den. Featherpool slipped by her, then started muttering something to her sister. However, Shellpaw has already heard the rumors going around about her and Rainsong having kits, and she watched in amusement before walking away.

In the clearing, Shellpaw could see Hollystar and Rowanheart discussing something over prey. The leader suddenly turned to look directly at Shellpaw and nodded. The she-cat quickly looked away and padded to the fresh-kill pile, her face hot with embarrassment. Rowanheart must have been telling him about her poor performance recently. Maybe they were blaming it on her mourning for Volepaw.

If she was being honest, she was more anxious about having seen him in a dream than anything. Why hadn’t he been in StarClan? Did he do something wrong before his death?

Suddenly, the peace of the leaf-fall weather was cut off, and her thoughts interrupted, when Firebreeze shot into the camp entrance, his eyes wide and panicked. “BurrowClan is attacking! By the stream!”


	8. Chapter 7

Hollystar leapt to his paws and made his way to the entrance, calling cats as he did. “Rowanheart, Crowclaw, Rainsong, Reedpaw, Shellpaw! Head to the river!” He pushed past Firebreeze and ran out of camp.

Shellpaw squeaked, then hurried out of camp with Firebreeze at her side. She could now see a long gash on his side, fresh and bleeding. Gulping, she looked away and said between breaths, “Lichenstar didn’t announce a battle, did she?”

“No. It was completely random. They just sprang on our patrol!” he replied with a hiss. Reedpaw caught up to him, and they looked like shadows of each other, ginger fur shining in the sun.

With a jolt, Shellpaw remembered that Ripplepaw was on that patrol with Firebreeze! _I hope he’s ok,_ she thought, quickening her pace. They hadn’t learned too many battle moves, just enough to defend themselves. But Ripplepaw proved himself worthy every time they sparred, and he was growing thick with muscle. That wasn’t enough to ease the knot in her belly, though.

The sound of screeching cats grew louder, and they traveled all the way down the river to the edge of the forest, where BurrowClan made their attack. Cats were jumping off from stones or rolling onto other warriors from them, and others were using them to hide and clean their wounds.

Shellpaw felt frozen to the grass, eyes wide in terror. Firebreeze nudged her side, then hissed and ran into the fray. She quickly looked around, then found Ripplepaw struggling with a golden tabby tom. Building up the courage, she ran and jumped onto his back, claws unsheathed, raking them into his skin. The tom cried out and rolled off of Ripplepaw, attempting to bury Shellpaw underneath. But she scrambled out of the way quickly, then hit a few blows onto his exposed belly with Ripplepaw. The tom yowled and ran away, jumping across the stream.

Shellpaw found her bearings and glanced at Ripplepaw. A part of his ear was sliced, and blood dripped down his shoulders. She winced, then noticed a familiar shape rolling on the ground with an unfamiliar one. “Mother?” she exclaimed, recognizing the tortoiseshell coat immediately.

The skinny she-cat was fighting for her life, but there wasn’t much of her left to fight with. “What is she doing out here? She’s too weak to battle!” Ripplepaw hissed at his sister.

“Hollystar didn’t tell her to come! She did on her own!” Shellpaw replied nervously.

Suddenly, a cat knocked Ripplepaw over, and they tumbled together until the tabby tom’s back slammed into a rock. The white tom pushed him against it, and Shellpaw realized it was Dewpaw. She jumped onto the stone above them, careful not to attack just yet.

“Dewpaw?” Ripplepaw said quietly.

The white tom lowered his eyes. “It’s Dewstep now.” His dug his claws deeper into Ripplepaw’s fur, causing him to shriek. “I’m only fighting you because I have to,” he admitted, almost a whisper. His brown and blue eyes glistened, and Ripplepaw was frozen underneath him.

Shellpaw prepared to jump on the tom’s back, but he shoved him against the rock one last time before darting off. She watched him go, and jumped when her eyes met with Lichenstar. Her glare was cold, and Shellpaw could hardly move. The leader stared for a few moments longer, then disappeared behind the reeds.

Shellpaw leapt down from the rock to tend to her brother. He had sat up, but instead of licking his wounds, he was staring at the ground as his chest heaved.

“Come on, we have to keep going,” she said, leaning closer to him. Ripplepaw gazed up at her, and Shellpaw swore she saw a flash of hurt in his eyes.

Shellpaw looked around and realized the BurrowClan group very much outnumbered them, and they were pushing them back farther. Her Clanmates bodies were collapsed and scattered across the field. She could hardly tell who were alive and dead. _How did this happen? Were they always this strong?_

They were ready to fight again when Lichenstar hopped onto the tallest stone, yowling for attention. “BurrowClan will take this piece of land for ourselves, whether you’ll let us or not!”

Hollystar stumbled to his paws, and Shellpaw softly gasped at the gash raked across his chest. Unphased, he turned to the gray she-cat and hissed, “How cowardly of you to attack without warning.”

Lichenstar raised her chin. “Your warriors should always be prepared for a fight,” she said, and her eyes scanned across the beaten bodies of StoneClan. “Obviously, yours were not.”

“What do you even need this territory for, anyway?”  
Rowanheart growled.

“We need more territory, for more warriors and prey. If I had asked at the Gathering, you would have refused, and we would have fought either way, so this battle was inevitable.”

Hollystar narrowed his eyes, and Shellpaw had never seen him so angry before. “You had no idea if we would refuse, but this is no way to go about getting land. Everyone will suffer from leaf-bare, not just you. Just know we will-“ He staggered, but Rowanheart let him lean on her. “We will get our land back. StoneClan, retreat!”

Lichenstar howled into the sky, and the StoneClan cats began gathering the injured and hurrying back to camp. Shellpaw and Ripplepaw found their mother on the ground, but her eyes were closed. Shellpaw nudged her with a paw. “Mother, let’s get you to Flowerfall.”

But Poppynose didn’t get up; she didn’t even stir. Shellpaw pressed her ear to her flank, and found it cold and still. She lifted her head and said, “I-I think she’s dead...”

Ripplepaw’s eyes widened, then he hissed and turned to where the BurrowClan leader had stood. “You killed her!” he cried, but Lichenstar and her cats were already gone.

Reedpaw and Sedgepaw saw where the younger apprentices huddled over Poppynose. They shared a look, then helped them carry her back to camp. Hollystar had to be dragged to the medicine den by Flowerfall and Sweetflower.

When they returned, Mossnose ran over to where they laid down Poppynose and immediately nuzzled into her fur. Sunsplash followed behind her, and his eyes were solemn but knowing.

“Why didn’t you stop her from leaving?” Ripplepaw hissed, looking up at him.

Sunsplash shook his head, the fur around his neck ruffling. “I tried, but she insisted on fighting. She said she wanted to see her son.” His voice wavered, but he attempted to hide it. Shellpaw stared her paws as a lump formed in her chest. Was she actually going to see her son, or go to StarClan. Her paws itches for it to be the next full moon already.

Cinderlight came out of her den, while Featherpool held her kits back with her tail. The gray queen laid her muzzle in Poppynose’s tortoiseshell fur as Mossnose did. “She was so young to have died,” she murmured.

Shellpaw didn’t know what to think anymore. Was everyone around her just destined to die? At least they knew what happened to Poppynose, but it didn’t help the sting in her chest. Ripplepaw saw her shoulders shudder and wrapped his tail around her. He was still shaking with anger, and Shellpaw desperately hoped he didn’t plan on exacting revenge. That was the last thing they needed.

“What happened?” asked Sandstrike, sitting next to his mate and looking to Firebreeze.

The ginger tom sighed. “Lichenstar took land by the stream, branching off from the forest. They attacked us with a large patrol, and we were outnumbered. Even bringing in more of our warriors didn’t help. They beat us in our own territory!”

“BurrowClan was never the Clan to start fights like this, even when Lichenstar started her leadership,” Dustfur commented, gathering with his Clanmates.

“They used fighting techniques I’ve never seen before,” Sedgepaw said, licking a cut on her shoulder. “At least, not from them.”

“Whatever the case may be, the surprise attack was unnecessary in obtaining more land,” Hollystar said, and the StoneClan warriors turned their heads to their leader as he scrambled up the stones. He was breathing hard from the coagulating gash, but he seemed not to care. “StoneClan will fight to get it back. For now, don’t step over their borders and pick fights.”

Flowerfall called to him when he was finished to come back, but he either didn’t hear or ignored her and stumbled into his den. The silver medicine cat blinked, then sighed and walked back to Poppynose with a bundle of sweet herbs in her mouth. Just like last time, she nestled them into her fur and said the blessing to send her to StarClan.

Shellpaw stared at the grieving cats and couldn’t bring herself to cry anymore.

 

* * *

 

 

Shellpaw opted to not go to the Gathering at all this time. She would just get upset and leave anyway, so what was the point? Ripplepaw was happy to go, and she knew it was because of Dewstep but she couldn’t understand why.

She waited until the cats headed to the Gathering left, then snuck out of the apprentices den and into the clearing. Sedgepaw and Reedpaw, now Sedgeheart and Reedsong, sat in the center, their coats warming each other in the leaf-bare cold. They flashed a look at her, but couldn’t say a word.

“I’m just going to get some fresh air, I’ll be back soon,” she reassured them. Sedgeheart nodded, and Shellpaw bounded out of camp, toward the river.

The tortoiseshell collapsed at its edge, and wrapped herself up to block out the cold, placing her tail tip on her nose. _Please let Mother be there!_ she pleaded, then fell into deep, anxious sleep _._

She awoke to the familiar sound of the river, and a warm breeze tickling her whiskers. The weather was always warm where Volepaw was, so he insisted it wasn’t so bad. At least she had the privilege to see him, unlike Ripplepaw or even the medicine cats.

Volepaw came over to his side of the river and beckoned her with with tail. His movements were tense, and his eyes were glowing brightly. Shellpaw hopped across the river with the stones, then nuzzled her brother’s cold flank. “What’s wrong?” she asked, tilting her head at him.

“There’s another cat here,” he said, and Shellpaw felt he fur rise on her back.

“Is it someone from StoneClan?”

Volepaw just turned and dashed away, and Shellpaw started after him, heart racing.

There was a she-cat hiding under a pine tree in MarshClan territory. Shellpaw could see her coat turn a faint ginger in Volepaw’s light, and when she saw her there she hissed.

“I just found her cowering under here, she hasn’t spoken to me,” Volepaw explained softly, trying not to rile the she-cat up. Shellpaw gasped, then stepped closer to her. The she-car blinked at her, then narrowed her eyes.

“You were in that patrol of cats looking to find out who killed that apprentice,” she said.

“I’m that apprentice,” Volepaw admitted, then pointed his tail to Shellpaw. “This is Shellpaw, my sister, but she’s still alive.”

“I see...” The she-cat ducked out from under the spikey branches to meet with the two younger cats. “My name is Appleleaf.”

“Do you know how you got killed?” Shellpaw blurted our, then stepped back sheepishly.

Appleleaf’s ear flicked, but she shook her head. “Not at all. I can’t remember a thing past leaving camp. I wanted to do some night hunting, since some prey comes out at night and the kits and elders are starving.”

Shellpaw lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”

The ginger she-cat scoffed, then fell to her side. “For what? It’s not your fault. I just wish I was in StarClan instead of... whatever this is.”

“I’m glad you’re taking it so well,” Volepaw said.

Appleleaf shrugged. “There’s not much I can do.”

They exchanged farewells and the siblings found a place secluded from her to talk. “So how are things in StoneClan?” Volepaw asked, his eyes sparkling.

“Well, Sedgepaw and Reedpaw are warriors now. Sedgeheart and Reedsong.” She decided to avoid telling him about Poppynose for now.

Volepaw purred. “That’s great! Aren’t you and Ripplepaw going to be apprentices soon?”

Shellpaw’s chest tightened. “In a few moons. I wish you were becoming a warrior with us...” she muttered.

Her brother pulled her closer to him and rested his chin on her shoulder. He should have been bigger than her, but he would remain barely six moons old for eternity now. The thought made her hurt more, and she buried her face into his form, ignoring the lack of warmth or heartbeat. She wanted to wail like a little kit, but couldn’t bring herself to.

“I'm sure whatever is happening, StarClan has planned it. Personally, I don’t think I’ll be here forever, but Appleleaf probably thinks otherwise,” he purred softly. Shellpaw raised her head to respond, but saw movement behind him and froze.

A large dark ginger she-cat, obviously alive, caught Shellpaw’s gaze, her amber eyes glowing in the dark. Her tail bushes and she dove into the shadows without a word. Shellpaw thought she recognized her from somewhere, but couldn’t think of the specifics.

Volepaw looked over his shoulder, then back to her. “Shellpaw? What’s wrong?”

Shellpaw edged away from Volepaw. “I saw something. I think I have to go.”

Before Volepaw could say anything, Shellpaw snapped awake and raised her head. She was back with the real river, and without Volepaw or Appleleaf.

There was a rustling in the reeds across the river, and the same ginger she-cat burst out. “You’re the cat from that dream!” she cried, and Shellpaw suddenly remembered who she was.

Mapledew.


	9. Chapter 8

“How were you in _my_ dream?” Shellpaw asked, fur bristling.

Mapledew rolled her eyes. “I’m a medicine cat, and that realm doesn’t belong to _you_ . It’s free range to whoever can get in there,” she snapped, then thoughtfully drew her tongue over her paw. “So how did _you_ get in there?”

Shellpaw stared at the ground. She actually had no idea what was happening, but it was apparent now that it was never a dream. She was visiting her brother in another world! But she was just a normal cat, not a medicine cat. “I don’t know,” she finally admitted, looking back up at the large she-cat.

“How could you not know? This is dead cats we’re talking about.”

Shellpaw shuffled her paws. “Well, my brother Volepaw is in there.”

“Is that the apprentice that got killed a couple of moons ago?”

“Yes, but I thought maybe it was just me making up conversation with him in my dreams. That’s what Flowerfall told me.”

Mapledew flicked her tail. “Well then. Obviously you know you’re actually talking to him, right?” Shellpaw nodded. “Now we just need to figure out why.”

There was a pause where Shellpaw got lost in her own thoughts, yet couldn’t think of anything actually productive. The fear of getting caught talking to a MarshClan cat, or even getting killed while wandering around, was gnawing at her.

“I could take you to the Starfall. 

Shellpaw flashed her gaze back to Mapledew. “What?”

“Yeah. Maybe StarClan actually has a clue what’s going on. Not like they’ll actually tell you what to do,” she added in annoyance. “But I think it could work.”

Shellpaw nodded slowly. If she could visit Volepaw’s realm, surely she could see StarClan the same, despite not being a medicine cat or leader. “Sure. But I can’t just go with you at the half-moon, can I? The other medicine cats will be there. 

“The Starfall doesn’t work only at half-moon,” said Mapledew. “Just meet me here in a quarter moon. I’ll take you there.”

Shellpaw nodded. “Alright.”

Mapledew twitched her whiskers, then turned around and dove back to her camp, her fluffy tail floating behind her as she disappeared over the hill.

Shellpaw returned to camp, nervous from toes to tail tip. The Gathering had returned, and Sedgeheart and Reedsong were still sitting in the clearing. If they had noticed she was gone longer that normal, they didn’t imply it, and simply glanced at her as she walked to the apprentice’s den. Ripplepaw was alone in there, and Shellpaw felt a strike of pity. He had no idea about anything Shellpaw was doing.

She nestled into the den next to him, and he stirred. “How was the Gathering?” Shellpaw asked, glad she didn’t have to whisper anymore.

Ripplepaw opened an eye. “Someone died in MarshClan. Found her by the river around where Volepaw died.They apparently also had a fight for territory, and they actually got it. 

Shellpaw was expecting most of that. “Against MarshClan? I’ve heard they’re the toughest fighters in the Clans.”

“Not anymore,” he said, shrugging.

Shellpaw settles closer to him, then asked, “Did you see Dewstep?”

Ripplepaw looked away. “Yes. He apologized for hurting me, but it was a battle. That’s what he supposed to do.”

“Maybe he likes you,” Shellpaw suggested, licking her chest casually. She felt Ripplepaw bristle beside her.

“He’s from another Clan, that wouldn’t work!” he stammered, then huffed and turned his back to her. His fur grew hot next to her, and Shellpaw purred.

Then she stopped and looked down at her brother, who had started falling asleep again. Should she tell him all that was going on with her and Volepaw? She hated keeping secrets from him, but if she told him, he would be relentless in finding out who the killer was. They had to focus on their training, not getting revenge. Not until they knew what was going on.

 _I won’t tell him just yet,_ she decided, curling up next to him and closing her eyes. _But I just don’t know when the right time_ is.

The next morning, Shellpaw was prodded awake by Ripplepaw as he slipped out of the den. She popped her head up, blinking away sleep and sunshine, then rose to her paws and ducked out from the stone cave and into the clearing. Sedgeheart and Reedsong were eating prey together, with Firebreeze and Mossnose talking alongside them, all together as a family. Shellpaw watched for a second, an ache in her heart yearning for the same, then pulled herself away to go on patrols.

“Sweetflower, Ripplepaw, Dawnpool, and Foxlight, take the MarshClan border. Be sure to set stronger markers, and be careful,” Rowanheart said, swinging her tail in the sand. She caught Shellpaw’s eye as the apprentice joined the group, then looked away. “Stoneshadow, Rainsong, and Gingerheart, go to the southern side of territory where the river flows over the hill. Watch out for rogues.”

She zoned out the hunting patrols as she watched Ripplepaw leave camp with his mentor and the other warriors. He cast a look at Shellpaw, rolling his eyes playfully at the gossiping she-cats, before vanishing through the reeds.

 _Volepaw, if you even can,_ she prayed silently. _Please watch over Ripplepaw. He really needs it._  

Rowanheart then draped her tail across Shellpaw’s shoulders, causing her to jump. “Shellpaw, Crowclaw, Sunsplash, Grasspelt, and I will take the BurrowClan border. Let’s go. 

Shellpaw nodded and trailed behind the older cats as they left camp. She was too busy watching the golden tabby pelt ahead of her to notice the second one that slid by her side. Sunsplash’s tail rested on her back as they walked, and Shellpaw looked up at him.

His eyes were clouded over, and she could tell he needed more sleep than he was getting. His golden fur had turned dull, but despite his he still held his head up and his face static.

“Good morning, Father,” Shellpaw said quietly. The stream was calm, so she spoke lower so the others wouldn’t hear her.

Sunsplash nodded at her, his eyes glittering for a moment. “Good morning.” 

There was a long silence as they walked, then Shellpaw asked, “Do you miss Mother and Volepaw?”

Sunsplash blinked, then his gaze softened. “Of course I do. There wasn’t anything I could do to stop her, but I feel like I could’ve tried,” he admitted. “But I’m sure her and your brother are together in StarClan now, as she wished.”

Shellpaw swallowed thickly. _I’m pretty sure she’s not. Her death was pointless. But I can’t tell him that._  

“I know I... seem rather distant about it. But...” Sunsplash paused to take a deep breath. “If I think about it, it’ll hurt more, I suppose.”

Shellpaw nuzzled into her father’s fur, breathing in the scent of water and sunshine. He looked down at her and let out a purr. “Sorry you have to listen to me talk like this.”

“It’s ok,” she replied simply. Something white flashed in the distance, into the forest, and Shellpaw stopped. Sunsplash turned to look quizzically at her. “I-I think I saw something in the trees,” she stammered. “I can check on it.”

Rowanheart flicked her tail. “See what it is, and mark the border as well. But don’t pick any fights,” she said, and Shellpaw darted into the trees.

It was weird now, considering the amount of territory BurrowClan now held. Their stench filled her nostrils, and she yearned to cover it with her own. But it was theirs now, whether she liked it or not. She dashed behind trees, closer to the white flash, though she had a very good idea of who it was.

Dewstep froze, across the stream that cut their territory, and Shellpaw stood back to where their new one was.

“Just because you won all this territory doesn’t mean you can take any more,” she said, narrowing her eyes.

Dewstep ducked his head nervously. “I’m sorry. I was trying to see if Ripplepaw was with you.”

Shellpaw shook her head. “He’s on the other side of the territory right now.”

“Mousedung,” Dewstep muttered, hitting the dirt with his paw.

“Why did you want to see him?” Shellpaw asked, whiskers twitching. 

“Just wanted to say hi. We are friends, after all,” replied Dewstep.

Shellpaw raised a brow. “You saw him last night at the Gathering.” A silence followed. “You like him, don’t you?”

Dewstep’s fur bristled. “Don’t say that too loudly! Please!”

Shellpaw blinked. “Why not? I’m just joking.” She couldn’t see anyone around, and plus they weren’t actually going to be mates... were they?

Dewstep’s eyes darted wildly. “N...Nevermind, no reason. Just tell Ripplepaw I said hello,” he said, then ran back into the forest.

Shellpaw tilted her head, then shrugged and scented the new marker that stretched beyond the stream. The edge was now a bundle of evergreen bushes, blocking off a lot of the stream that they used to fish in”

 _We have more cats to feed, too,_ Shellpaw thought, tail lashing. _Why do_ they _get all this territory?_

Shellpaw paused and turned her head to see Rowanheart emerge from the trees. For once, she had scented her before, and felt a surge of silent pride. “Did you find out what was wrong?” she asked.

“Just a cat hunting,” replied Shellpaw.

Rowanheart curtly nodded. “I forget they can hunt over here now. Come along, we need to mark the end of the territory. I don’t think you’ve ever been there before.”

Shellpaw shook her head. Rowanheart beckoned with her tail for the rest of the patrol to follow, and they all gathered back together and walked further into the forest. The growth thickened as they went, and it began looking like BurrowClan territory.

Shellpaw hopped onto a rock and looked deeper into the forest. She could see a large den in the distance, with a pointed roof. “What’s that?” she asked, looking back at Rowanheart.

The golden she-cat stretched on her hind legs to get on Shellpaw’s level, and looked out with her. “That’s a Twoleg den,” she replied. “There’s a tomcat who lives there, but he knows where the boundaries are and doesn’t come into our territory.”

Grasspelt spoke up from the other side of the rock. “His name is Hunter, and he came to live with us for about a moon when there was a flood, back when I was an apprentice.” 

Shellpaw squinted as she stared, trying to catch a glimpse of the tom. “Why don’t we use this territory?” 

“It’s unknown to us,” Rowanheart replied shortly.

“And I highly doubt there’s any stones or sandy floors in the forest,” added Crowclaw, flicking her tail. Shellpaw flattened her ears, then hopped off the rock to finish the patrol.

They returned around sunhigh, as the patrols carried in prey and gathered around the fresh-kill piles. Shellpaw found her brother quickly departing from the she-cats in his group, and she licked his ear as they headed into the clearing. 

Rosekit and Smokekit tumbled into the clearing, tails fluffy and eyes wide. “I think we should eat vole,” Rosekit declared, running her small paw through the kill. 

“I would rather eat a fish,” Smokekit admitted. 

Rosekit turned to her, whiskers twitching. “What’s wrong with vole?”

“Nothing, I just like fish better.”

“Well Mama says we have to agree on _something-_ “

“Just pick already!” Frogwhisker hissed as she stepped over them with towering legs and picked her prey. Rosekit and Smokekit squeaked and froze, watching her stalk away.

Shellpaw sniffed. She was their grandmother! And yet she could be so cruel to her own kin. The tortoiseshell padded over to the kits and bent over them. “Don’t worry about her,” she whispered in their ears. “She always seems to have fleas in her pelt.”

“And when she moves to the elder’s den, the whole _Clan_ will have to deal with them,” Ripplepaw added, rolling his eyes. Shellpaw hit his flank with a paw as she purred to the she-kits.

Cinderlight came out of her den and sat behind the kits. “Hello, you two,” she mewed to Shellpaw and Ripplepaw. Her eyes glittered with pride as she sighed. “You’re both growing into fine warriors. Just three more moons, right?”

Shellpaw nodded. It had felt like so much longer, with everything going on. Would the murders be solved before she even became a warrior? How long would this go on? Fear grew tight in her chest as she thought of Volepaw being stuck forever. 

A gray fluffy tail waved in front of her, and Shellpaw jumped a little. “Are you alright, Shellpaw?” asked Cinderlight, worry tightening her voice.

“I’m fine,” she said evenly, but she could still feel the needle pricking her chest and pelt.

The kits finally settled on a fish and began eating, excitedly rambling while doing so. Cinderlight laid next to them with a mouse and purred, “Don’t talk with your mouth full, darlings.”

Shellpaw watched, then sighed and felt the urge to curl up around her own mother. Cinderlight’s kits were lucky to have theirs still. She couldn’t help but feel both jealous and awful, so she looked away and grabbed a rabbit to share with Ripplepaw.

Ripplepaw didn’t say a word as they ate; he simply laid his tail across her back in silent comfort.

After the Clan was done eating, they began sharing tongue, taking the warm midday sun for as long as they could, for it was rare in leaf-bare. Luckily it hadn’t snowed yet, but the chilly wind could bring anything with it.

Rosekit and Smokekit play-wrestled in the sand, but it was obvious the gray kit was having some trouble. One of her eyes was blind and nearly closed shut, giving her an amber and blue eye. Rosekit was also having trouble, simply because she didn’t want to hit Smokekit too hard, who was excitedly asking for a real fight.

Shellpaw was reminded of playing when she was a kit, as Ripplepaw groomed her fur. “It’s sad that we probably won’t get to mentor those two,” she said wistfully. 

“Maybe if we’re really good, Hollystar will let us,” Ripplepaw mused with a purr.

“Volepaw would have been a great mentor,” Shellpaw continued, stretching her neck to clean Ripplepaw’s ears.

The tabby tom was silent for a moment, and Shellpaw was scared she said something wrong. “I think so, too,” he finally replied, then began washing his own chest.

Chatter could be heard from the rocks in the clearing used for sunbathing. Shellpaw looked to find Dustfur, Morningflower, Frogwhisker, and Birchpelt gathered and gossiping. “StarClan, they already act like they’re elders,” Ripplepaw sneered quietly.

“Nobody has done anything to find who killed Volepaw and Appleleaf,” said Frogwhisker, nose upturned. “You’d think Hollystar would do a little more before the rest of our cats get killed.” 

“Hollystar is doing what he can,” Dustfur replied, fur bristling at the criticism of his son.

“You mean waiting until the next cat is killed?” Frogwhisker said, and flicked her gaze to Ripplepaw and Shellpaw. “They could be in camp as we speak.” 

Shellpaw felt Ripplepaw’s fur rise, and she flattened her ears but said nothing. “She probably didn’t mean anything by it,” Shellpaw reassured him. Her brother didn’t respond, and instead closed his eyes and returned to cleaning, but much rougher this time. She sighed and put her head on his flank, hoping the quarter moon would come faster.

The next morning, Frogwhisker’s body was found dead by the river, in the same place Volepaw was.


	10. Chapter 9

Shellpaw dug into the dirt nervously, waiting for Mapledew to get her. A sliver of the moon hung above, like a cat claw, and she shuddered in the nipping breeze. Frogwhisker wasn’t going to be in StarClan, she could feel it. Another mysterious murder, but this time Ripplepaw had become a prime suspect.

“Frogwhisker was talking about him the day before,” Birchpelt has said when asked about it. That, plus Volepaw’s bad scuffle with Ripplepaw and later death, didn’t help her brother’s case at all. Appleleaf’s murder wasn’t acknowledged, but everyone was still on the tips of their paws, their hairs raised at all times. When Ripplepaw passed, they gave him looks of resentment or fear, despite having no proof that he did any of the three murders.

She could feel his rage boiling as she slept next to him, and it twisted her gut thinking about it now.

The reeds rustled across the river, and Shellpaw’s head popped up to see Mapledew standing next to the stepping stones. “You ready?” she asked, eyes glinting in the moonlight.

Shellpaw got to her paws, sighing. “Not exactly,” she said, “but I don’t think I have a choice.” She hopped across the river and landed in front of Mapledew. “Thank you for taking me.”

The ginger she-cat stared for a few moments, then stammered, “No problem...”

The two cats set out onto MarshClan territory, following the river and headed around the lake. Mapledew was much larger than Shellpaw, maybe even bigger than Rowanheart, and she had never seen such a big medicine cat before. But there were small and lithe warriors just the same, Shellpaw supposed.

“What is being a medicine cat like?” she asked suddenly.

Mapledew hummed before she answered. “I like being able to help my Clan without fighting for it. There’s lots of herbs to remember, but once you have those down, you can heal anyone. And my connection with StarClan has always been strong, so I always figured I’d be a medicine cat.”

Shellpaw tilted her head. “Since you were a kit?” Mapledew nodded. “How did you know they weren’t just... bad dreams?”

“When I first became an apprentice, I had a dream about Turtlestep becoming deputy, as the previous one had died of old age. MarshClan couldn’t decide who the deputy could be, until I had a vision of a turtle as big as the lake. And it turns out he’s been the best decision we made.” Mapledew puffed out her chest, proud of what she had accomplished. Shellpaw purred, then turned her attention to the ground as she walked.

“What does it mean when you have dreams that don’t walk with StarClan?” she asked quietly, and she heard Mapledew stiffen.

“Well, I was allowed in there, so it can’t be that much of a problem-“

“But you’re a medicine cat!” Shellpaw said, voice strained with anxiety. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Mapledew, who stared in shock. “Medicine cats have been known to go between places like that. But I’m just a warrior apprentice. And it’s not StarClan.” She looked at the ground, too anxious to make eye contact again.

There was a silence, except for the cold wind whistling through the reeds. “I think StarClan has a reason for this,” Mapledew said finally, and Shellpaw slowly looked back up. “A reason for you to be seeing this. I mean, this can’t be happening for nothing. There’s obviously something going on.” A pause. “I think StarClan thinks you can fix it.”

Shellpaw stared, her heart in her throat. Fix what? BurrowClan was being ambitious, and there had been a few murders, but she didn’t think either of those were fixable. Did they want her to enact revenge? Were the murders and BurrowClan related, even though they’re on opposite sides of the territory?

Fur swept the side of her head, and Shellpaw blinked as Mapledew brushed by her, tail waving past. “Come on, spacey. We don’t need to waste any more moonlight.”

The two she-cats trekked along the border. A silence filled the air, but Shellpaw couldn’t tell if it was comfortable or not. The wind was growing colder, and she could see frost forming on the lake as they walked past. All the puddles they waded through on MarshClan territory were frosty too. The water must get freezing cold during leaf-bare! How did they hunt and patrol like that? She glanced at Mapledew, her long coat fluffed out against the wind, and suddenly realized why everyone in her Clan looked like that.

Not too long later, they began climbing uphill, over the moors and out of the usual territory. The forest traveled over the hill with them, reaching the river’s edge as they followed it. Shellpaw raced ahead and popped her head up over the moor and gasped as she looked down. A waterfall dropped all the way down the hill, foaming at the bottom and swirling fast as it continued downwards. Rocks jutted out in the middle of the falls, sending the water over it like a tree canopy.

“Is this the Starfall?” she breathed.

Mapledew caught up and looked over, nodding. “We use the dry rocks to jump down. But still, be careful.”

The two she-cats headed down the waterfall, with the water rushing past their ears so loud Shellpaw couldn’t even think properly. They reached the bottom, where a rock jutted out and cast the water over their heads. The moon glistened through the water, sending little beams of light into the cave behind it.

“Now you lap up some of the water and lay down,” Mapledew said as they padded underneath the water. The stones were colder here, and Shellpaw shivered as her pads touched them.

“Will you be with me?” Shellpaw asked, staring at Mapledew with wide eyes

The ginger she-cat shrugged. “I’ll share tongues with StarClan, too, but they may be my own dreams. We’ll see.”

 _Well that’s not reassuring_ , Shellpaw thought, then sighed and lapped at the rushing water, then lay down. She felt Mapledew do the same beside her before she fell into a quickly fading darkness.

She woke up and found herself by a gentle river, filled with stars. The reeds shimmered, and the breeze was warm. Shellpaw twitched her ears and turned her head. “Is anyone there?” she asked. “I’m in StarClan, right?”

“Yes, dear, you are,” said a sweet voice, and Shellpaw’s nose filled with the scent of roses. She saw a cream she-cat with a ginger face climb over the rocks by the river. The she-cat’s pelt was laced with stars, and her blue eyes glinted as they settled on the apprentice. “I am Rosewish, Hollystar’s former mate.”

Shellpaw’s eyes widened. “Wow, you’re so pretty!” She stammered. She had never seen a cat her color before. But she was beautiful, as the stories of her from the elders and senior warriors had promised.

Rosewish’s purr rolled with laughter. “Thank you. We had faith you would come to us.”

“We?” Shellpaw asked. As she spoke, two more cats came out. A large golden tom stepped onto the rock below Rosewish. His back rippled with dark stripes, and Shellpaw slowly saw a relation to Ripplepaw. “Who are you?”

“Brackenclaw. Sunsplash and Rowanheart are my kits, and I’m your grandfather.” Strong muscles defined his pelt, and Shellpaw stared in awe. She had heard tales of his bravery in the war with the rogues, but wasn’t lucky enough to see him, as he died when his children were apprentices.

A third cat stepped onto the ground closest to her, and Shellpaw’s heart swelled in her chest when she saw her. Her throat tightened, and all she could spit out was “Mother?” But before she could rush over to her, something else stopped her in her tracks. Three small kits, barely old enough to open their eyes, tumbled around her paws, stars reflecting off their fur and eyes shining like the sun.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Poppynose mewed, and Shellpaw desperately ran up and pushed her muzzle across her mother’s shoulder. She breathed in her milk-scent, the way she always seemed to smell, and the tang of rosemary.

Shellpaw started wailing apologies into her fur, and Poppynose fervently licked her cheek, ears, and anything else close to her. “It’s okay, my baby. It’s okay. Don’t be upset,” she whispered.

When Shellpaw finally pulled away, the kits prodded at her legs and tail, giggling. Shellpaw laughed with them, before stepping back and looking at the cats on the rocks.

“We bring you an important message,” Rosewish said, her voice lowering. “An urgent one. You no doubt know about the murders that pull our Clan members away from StarClan and into different skies. We know you have the power to stop it.”

Shellpaw flattened her ears. “But how?”

“Your communication with the dead can open up other cats’ eyes, and bring everything to a stop before it’s too late,” Brackenclaw replied.

Rosewish continued, “There is no omen or prophecy to give you. There’s no time. But realize this: the evil lies within the forest of your own border, yet is not of the Clans.”

“Not of the Clans?” Shellpaw echoed, raising her head. “How is that possible?”

“Once you rid of the evil, the dead will come to StarClan, as they were meant to,” Poppynose said, and her voice faltered. “Please bring my baby back to me, Shellpaw.”

The she-cat said something else in desperation, but the river waters flowed faster, and the sound grew too loud in Shellpaw’s ears to hear anything. The stars faded into blackness, and she jerked up her head to find herself still in the cave.

Mapledew was waiting by the water, grooming her pelt. “About time you got up,” she said. “I’m starving.”

Shellpaw got up and shook her fur out. “Are you saying you don’t know how to hunt?” she asked.

Mapledew lashed her tail, stammering. “O-Of course I do. Most medicine cats do. Just... not at night.”

“I’ll hunt real quick, then,” Shellpaw offered, blinking kindly at her.

Mapledew licked her chest fur. “Thanks.”

They padded out to the river shore and onto the rocks, watching over the rushing water. The wind was growing colder, and Shellpaw glanced up at the swarming clouds. “Rain might be coming,” she said. “We should hurry.” Mapledew nodded.

Shellpaw watched the fish in the river go by. “Trout are the most active fish at night,” she whispered. “We don’t usually fish, but it’s really easy during new-leaf.” She looked at Mapledew. “Step back so your shadow doesn’t scare off the fish.”

Mapledew blinked and stepped back, letting Shellpaw do the work. The tortoiseshell paused a few seconds, then dove her paw into the water, bringing up a fish that glimmered in the moonlight as it landed on the shore. A few moments later she had a second fish, and they settled down to eat in the cave.

Mapledew tucked her paws under her as she started to eat. “You’re a great hunter,” she said, whiskers twitching. “Thanks for getting food for me.”

Shellpaw purred. “It was no problem.” They ate in silence, except for the water rolling by, and the Starfall’s gentle splashing on the rocks below.

Mapledew finished first and poked her head out of the cave as Shellpaw groomed her face. “Oh, StarClan,” she said from the entrance, and Shellpaw hopped up and looked with her, fur rising. Snow had started to fall, but it was blowing around in the wind and getting faster as they stared. The cave protected them from the cold, but Shellpaw wouldn’t dare step out at the moment.

“We can’t leave in this,” Mapledew said. “I think we’ll have to stay the night.”

“What?” Shellpaw asked, and her voice peaked. “With all the murders happening? What if something happens to us? My family will be worried...”

Mapledew laid her tail on Shellpaw’s back. “It’ll be fine. At least we have StarClan to watch over us, especially here where they’re strongest.” Her eyes were warm, and Shellpaw felt her fur slowly settle.

“Alright.”

The she-cats laid down in the back of the cave, avoiding the wind as much as possible. Shellpaw curled into Mapledew’s thick pelt, almost fitting perfectly into the curve of her belly. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy as soon as she put her head down, and she fell asleep almost immediately.

 

* * *

 

 

Shellpaw awoke with the dawn sun hitting her eyes. She blinked away the light, then sat straight up when she thought of Ripplepaw. “Mapledew, get up,” she meowed hurriedly, prodding her friend in the side.

The large she-cat grunted and fluttered open her eyes, stretching out her paws. “What?” she muttered.

“We have to get back. The dawn patrols have already went out! They’ll have missed us for sure.” Her chest instantly tightened with regret. What would her father or Ripplepaw say? Would she get in trouble?

Mapledew rolled onto her stomach and fully stretched, then stood and ruffled her fur, saying, “Well, Pinewhisker won’t really care that I left, but they’ll definitely notice a warrior apprentice.”

Shellpaw lashed her tail in anxiety. “Come on, then!” She peeked outside the cave. “It looks like the snow has stopped.”

They stepped outside and climbed up the icy rocks, which Mapledew helped her with. When they reached the top, Shellpaw stared wide-eyes at the territories. White snow covered the reeds, divided only by the river and the lake _. I wish we weren’t in such a rush right now_ , she thought sadly. _I’d love to play in this._ She shivered and started down the hill, with Mapledew behind her.

They followed the river until the stepping stones between MarshClan and StoneClan. By this time the sun was well above dawn, and the patrols would be returning. “I’ll see you at the next Gathering,” she told Mapledew, stepping onto the first stone.

The ginger she-cat nodded. “Good luck with... whatever StarClan told you.”

Shellpaw flicked her tail in farewell, then hopped across the river and headed for the camp. She pushed through the reed entrance, not sure what to expect, but definitely not ready.

Ripplepaw was standing in front of Reedsong, tail bushed and teeth snarled. “If she wasn’t on the border, then where else would she be?” her brother asked. His voice had an edge of fear. He hadn’t even noticed she came in yet.

Reedsong towered over the smaller tom. “We have no idea! It’s not our fault she ran off.”

Ripplepaw narrowed his eyes. “What are you saying?”

Reedsong scoffed. “She was probably running away from you before you murdered her, too.”

Ripplepaw hissed, then looked at the entrance and his entire body softened. “Shellpaw!” he exclaimed, running over to her. “Where were you?”

Shellpaw stammered, unsure of how to answer him. “I...I-“

“I thought you were _dead_ ,” he hissed, but his voice cracked at the end. “I honestly, truly thought you were dead. Why were you gone all night?”

Shellpaw felt her breath catch in her throat, and she opened her mouth to explain, but nothing came out. She glanced around at the growing attention, at everyone looking at them, then back to Ripplepaw. “I’ll tell you if you come with me.”

Ripplepaw stared angrily at her for a few tense moments, then nodded curtly. He followed her out of the camp until they reached the place where Volepaw and Poppynose were buried. They sat underneath the jutting stone, hiding from the bitter winds.

“Alright, tell me where you were,” Ripplepaw demanded, claws raking into the soft snow.

Shellpaw gulped. Now was a better time to tell him than ever. Would he even believe her? It did seem totally outlandish to anyone who didn’t witness it firsthand, like Mapledew. She let out a deep breath, then looked intensely into her brother’s eyes.

“I’ve been... talking to Volepaw. He’s dead, but not in StarClan.”

Ripplepaw’s brows furrowed. “Talking to him? How?”

“I can do it every full moon. I come to the river where he was murdered and I can talk to him. But he’s not in StarClan, he’s in some weird realm. Appleleaf and Frogwhisker are there too, and we have no idea how they died either. I think it has something to do with it.” She clamped her mouth shut to stop her rambling before it became too much information at once.

Ripplepaw glared at her, and Shellpaw felt smaller than ever. “What does that have to do with you being gone? It wasn’t a full moon last night.”

Shellpaw kneaded her paws. “I went to the Starfall with MarshClan’s medicine cat, and I talked to StarClan about it. They said talking to Volepaw in that realm is what will help us end these murders.”

Ripplepaw blinked, then growled. “Us?” he asked, and Shellpaw stepped back a tail length. “What do you mean us? Volepaw doesn’t even want to talk to me.”

“I don’t think he has a choice-“

“So _StarClan_ don’t want me talking to him, then?” Ripplepaw asked. Shellpaw flattened her ears. “Do they think I’m the murderer?”

Shellpaw didn’t answer. Ripplepaw leaned closer to her. “Do you think I’m the murderer?”

Shellpaw sputtered. “Volepaw told me you didn’t do it.”

“And do you believe him?” Ripplepaw asked. Shellpaw just stared at him, mostly in fear and confusion, and the tom shook his head. “Of course you do. Not even my brother and sister trust me.” He hissed at her before turning around and running away, toward the forest.

Shellpaw scrambled out from under the rock, her heartbeat roaring in her ears. “Ripplepaw!” she cried. “Please come back!”

If he heard her, he didn’t respond, and she saw his dark fur disappear over the hills, leaving her alone in the cold.


End file.
